DoorDash is investing $125 million in Grubhub-parent Wonder, part of a new partnership that brings together two key food-delivery players.
DoorDash also said Tuesday it agreed to acquire Wonder's Grubhub campus dining business for $300 million, with plans to expand the service beyond college campuses to stadiums, hotels and other venues.
DoorDash's investment adds to food-hall startup Wonder's latest funding, a $650 million Series D round at a premoney valuation of $9 billion that was disclosed in July.
Wonder Chief Executive Officer Marc Lore said the investment from DoorDash will allow the company to continue investing in technology, robotics and infrastructure. Offloading the campus dining business, meanwhile, will help Wonder zero in on its core goals.
The startup operates a growing footprint of food halls in addition to Grubhub, which it acquired last year, and meal kit company Blue Apron. A majority of its business is centered on delivery.
The partnership with DoorDash "allows Wonder to focus on our long-term ambition: a fully autonomous food system that can plan, produce and deliver personalized meals at scale, serving all 21 meals people eat each week," said Lore, who was previously Walmart's U.S. e-commerce chief.
For DoorDash, the deal for Grubhub campus dining adds a meal-ordering service offered at more than 450 colleges and universities. The business, formerly known as Tapingo, allows students to order a meal from campus dining facilities and on-campus restaurants using its mobile app or kiosks and schedule pickup.
DoorDash said it plans to continue expanding the service in the U.S. following the close of the deal, which is expected by the first half of next year, subject to closing conditions and regulatory review.
"Adding Grubhub Campus Dining to our platform will enable us to bring greater choice and convenience to college students while streamlining operations and reducing friction for universities," DoorDash CEO Tony Xu said.
The moves connect two opponents in the market for on-demand delivery, where competition is heating up. DoorDash and rival Uber have been going head to head in a race to expand geographically and infuse further automation with the likes of drones and robots.
Wonder has similarly been scaling up its business, and investing in technology to help it grow. The company has said it is targeting an initial public offering for sometime next year.
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