On-demand food delivery platform Deliveroo has announced the acquisition of Edinburgh-based software design and development firm Cultivate.
Deliveroo will use the acquisition of Cultivate, who have already built a world-class reputation in software development, to create a tech hub in Edinburgh, the company’s first UK tech office outside of its London HQ.
It’s reported that Scottish tech consultancy Cultivate has helped to build the payments systems which handle the millions of transactions the food delivery giant’s marketplace oversees every day.
This acquisition aims to improve the payments experience for riders and restaurants, with both companies developing new ways to improve payment processes to riders and restaurants, building on Deliveroo’s ‘Cash Out’ feature which allows riders to access their earnings immediately.
It will also explore greater financial advancements and services: Deliveroo and Cultivate will be working to develop new ways to offer financial support, for example to help riders save and help restaurants manage their cash flow.
Deliveroo will initially double headcount in the next 12 months in Edinburgh and is aiming to house 50 highly-skilled tech jobs in the new Scottish office within three years, more than trebling the current workforce. Deliveroo’s new tech hub will be made up of engineers, product managers, user researchers, designers and data scientists and will grow in the years to come. This will help to further develop Edinburgh’s burgeoning tech ecosystem.
Commenting on the deal, Dan Winn, Deliveroo VP of Engineering, said: “As a British company, Deliveroo is proud to be investing in Edinburgh and creating more high skilled jobs in the UK. Deliveroo is committed to offering riders flexible, well-paid work and helping restaurants to grow their businesses. Building on Cultivate’s expertise, we are excited to create new products and services that will help us achieve this.”
Cultivate’s Chief Commercial Officer Andy Robinson, who becomes Deliveroo’s Site Lead in Edinburgh, said: “We have a fantastic relationship with Deliveroo, supporting them through an amazing period of growth.
“We’re proud to have built such a great team here in Edinburgh, and today’s announcement is a testament to their hard work and expertise in building world-class software. We are excited to continue this work, create highly skilled jobs, and build a centre of tech excellence in Edinburgh.”
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