Glovo launches a new service in Romania. It offers financing between 3,000 and 200,000 lei. PragmaGO, an international provider of integrated financing solutions for SMEs, has entered into a partnership with Glovo to launch PragmaCash for entrepreneurs in Glovo's partner network in Romania, who can now access flexible financing through the Merchant Cash Advance (MCA) model. Lidia Neagu - Tue, 28 Jul 2026, 13:11 Glovo collaborates with an extensive network of several thousand commercial partners, representing an important sales channel and a daily point of contact with customers. In addition to the HoReCa segment, dominant in the market, there is also dynamic growth in categories such as healthy food, supermarkets, beauty and food, areas that are particularly vulnerable to market fluctuations and missed opportunities. "This solution makes rapid access to working capital essential for managing cash flow and capitalizing on growth opportunities, and PragmaCash integrates naturally into the Glovo ecosystem," the company states in a press release. Eligible companies can access financing between 3,000 and 200,000 lei, the limit being set based on revenues previously generated through the Glovo platform. The entire process is fully digitalized - from application to contract signing via SMS - allowing merchants to obtain the necessary financing quickly and easily. Repayment is predictable and transparent: equal weekly installments over a period of 4 or 12 months, with no hidden costs. The simplified digital process allows merchants access to financing significantly faster than through traditional lending channels. "Our partnership with Glovo gives entrepreneurs direct access to fast and affordable financing that supports the day-to-day development of their businesses. Data from other PragmaGO partners shows that companies using this type of financing have recorded an average turnover growth of up to 36% year on year. Through PragmaCash, Glovo merchants can now benefit from a solution already tested and used by thousands of companies in Poland. Romania is the second market, after Spain, where Glovo and PragmaGO are launching this integrated financing solution (embedded finance), which combines the scale of Glovo's operations and its strong B2B customer relationships with the technology and financing expertise developed by PragmaGO. This represents a new step in our European expansion - and not the last, as we intend to extend the partnership to other markets, including Poland," said Joanna Budzik-Lister, VP Strategic Partnerships at PragmaGO. "At Glovo, we are constantly looking for ways to support the growth and resilience of our partners. We know that rapid access to capital can be a major challenge for many SMEs in HoReCa and retail. By integrating the financing solution developed by PragmaGO into our platform, we offer merchants simple access to fast and independent digital tools for managing cash flow and capitalizing on new opportunities," added Mihai Voicu, Head of Retail and Groceries at Glovo Romania. The partnership reflects the increasingly accelerated adoption of integrated financing solutions at the European level, where financing is increasingly integrated directly into the digital platforms used daily by SMEs. This financing model was successfully introduced by PragmaGO, an international fintech headquartered in Poland, on the Polish market, where it has gained the trust of nearly 24,000 entrepreneurs, with over 200 million euros in financing granted through over 724,000 transactions in 2025. "In 2024, Romania recorded one of the highest SME growth rates in the European Union, over 5% year on year. Alongside the accelerated digital transformation in Central and Eastern Europe, this evolution generates an increasing demand for fast and convenient financing solutions. We want to respond to this need with fast, affordable and practical financial solutions for small businesses in Europe, relying on our operational model, proven know-how and the strength of local teams," concluded Joanna Budzik-Lister, VP Strategic Partnerships at PragmaGO. Glovo is a leading technology platform that connects customers, companies and couriers, offering multi-category on-demand services from local restaurants, convenience stores, supermarkets and retail stores. Founded in 2015 in Barcelona, the company operates in 22 countries in Europe, Central Asia and Africa. PragmaGO is the international brand of a Polish financial group specializing in B2B financing, including factoring, embedded finance solutions such as Merchant Cash Advance and BNPL, as well as corporate loans. Active in Poland, Spain and Romania, PragmaGO collaborates with partners such as Allegro, Polskie ePłatności, Przelewy24, PayU, Tpay, Glovo and Pluxee. The company combines technology with regulatory expertise to offer flexible financing solutions dedicated to growing companies. In Romania, the company has been operating since 2024 through its subsidiary Telecredit IFN S.A., which completed its rebranding process to PragmaGO in April 2026.

Uber buys out Glovo, its biggest rival in Kenya's delivery market. Reading Time: 3 mins read Uber has acquired Delivery Hero's operations in 50 markets, including Kenya, giving the American ride-hailing company control of a business it has spent years competing against on the streets of Nairobi. Discover more Demographics Mobile Apps & Add-Ons Job Listings Under the terms of the voluntary takeover offer, Uber will pay Delivery Hero shareholders €41.50 in cash for each share. This values the company at $14.8 billion (about KES 1.9 trillion), or $13.7 billion after accounting for Uber's previous share purchases. The deal means Glovo Kenya will become part of Uber's global network instead of being sold to another company. However, unlike the Kenyan business, Delivery Hero's operations in 14 European markets will be transferred to SSW Partners. For Kenyan riders, restaurants, and consumers, the it means the two biggest names in food and grocery delivery are about to share one owner. The Competition Authority of Kenya's most recent market study put Glovo's share of food delivery at 33% and its share of grocery delivery at 46%, well ahead of Uber Eats, Jumia Food, and Bolt Food. Jumia Food had already exited the market in December 2023, and Bolt Food has struggled to keep pace with the two leaders. A single company now controlling both Glovo and Uber Eats concentrates market power in a way Kenya has not seen since Jumia's departure. Glovo Kenya arrives at this deal from a position of strength, not weakness. It opened a new Nairobi headquarters earlier this year and committed roughly KES 10 billion in additional investment through 2030. The platform runs in 12 towns and cities, works with more than 6,000 merchants, and puts about 2,200 riders on the road daily, alongside a workforce it planned to double to 1,200 employees within two years. Those growth plans are now in Uber's hands instead of Delivery Hero's, but it is still unclear how much of that vision will continue after the integration. The regulatory process is also a key step, not just a formality. Kenya's mandatory merger notification rules, introduced this year, require the Competition Authority of Kenya to approve the deal before it can be completed. The authority has already shown it is willing to take action, having ordered both Glovo and Uber Eats to open physical offices in Kenya in 2024. Communications Authority of Kenya has also just created a dedicated Courier Hailing Service Provider license, taking effect July 29, that will apply to both platforms and gives regulators another lever to pull. Three groups will be watching the CAK's review closely. Restaurants and merchants are concerned about commission rates as they may have to negotiate with one dominant platform instead of two competing ones. Riders, many of whom work in the gig economy without formal employment protections, want assurances that the merger will not lead to fewer jobs or poorer working conditions. Consumers, who have benefited from competition between Glovo and Uber Eats, could also lose out if the combined company no longer faces strong competition. The deal is expected to close in the second half of 2027, giving Kenyan regulators, businesses, and riders who depend on the market more than a year to review the merger before it is finalized.

Uber's $14.8 billion deal gives it control of Glovo in Kenya. Uber Technologies' proposed $14.8 billion acquisition of German food delivery company Delivery Hero would give the U.S. ride-hailing company ownership of Kenya's largest food delivery platform, Glovo, strengthening its position in one of Africa's fastest-growing delivery markets. Uber has announced it has agreed to acquire Delivery Hero for 41.50 euros per share in cash, valuing the Berlin-based company at about 13 billion euros ($14.8 billion). The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2027, subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals. Delivery Hero owns about 94% of Glovo after completing a 2.3 billion euro acquisition of the Spanish delivery company in 2022. The deal would place both Glovo, the market leader in Kenya's online food and grocery delivery sector, and Uber Eats under the same corporate owner. Uber is acquiring Delivery Hero's operations across 50 markets spanning Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America, which together generated about $42 billion in gross merchandise value in 2025, according to the companies. Kenya, alongside Uganda, Nigeria, Morocco and Ivory Coast, is included in the assets Uber will acquire. Separately, New York-based investment firm SSW Partners will acquire Delivery Hero's operations in 14 mainly European markets for about 1.4 billion euros. Uber said those markets represent areas where the two companies have the greatest overlap, a structure intended to address potential antitrust concerns. Kenya was not included in the divestment despite Uber Eats already operating in Nairobi, where it competes with Glovo. The transaction is likely to draw scrutiny from Kenya's Competition Authority, which reviews mergers that could substantially reduce competition. The regulator has previously intervened in the country's app-based delivery sector, directing Glovo and Uber Eats in 2024 to establish local offices to handle consumer complaints. The acquisition comes after the exit of Jumia Food from Kenya in late 2023, leaving Glovo, Uber Eats and Bolt Food as the country's main food delivery platforms. Until the transaction closes, Glovo and Uber Eats will continue operating as separate businesses. If approved, the merger would leave Uber controlling two of Kenya's three largest food delivery platforms, potentially reshaping competition, pricing, restaurant commissions and rider earnings in the East African market. Stay ahead of the stories shaping its world. Subscribe to Impact Newswire for timely, curated insights on global tech, business, and innovation all in one place. Dive deeper into the future with the Cause Effect 4.0 Podcast, where Impactnews Wire explore the ideas, trends, and technologies driving the global AI conversation. Got a story to share? Pitch it to Impactnews Wire at [email protected] and reach the right audience worldwide