ZakaZaka
ZakaZaka is a company.
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Financial History
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Leadership Team
Key people at ZakaZaka.
ZakaZaka is a company.
Key people at ZakaZaka.
Key people at ZakaZaka.
ZakaZaka was a St. Petersburg-based food delivery startup operating as Russia's number two player in the market, partnering with 2,600 restaurants and generating 56 million roubles (€900,000) in revenue in 2016.[1] It served customers primarily through a dedicated mobile app, handling 126,000 orders in March 2017, with strong retention, nationwide presence beyond major cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg, and high purchase frequency.[1][3] The company solved the problem of efficient food delivery from local restaurants to consumers across Russia, targeting urban and regional markets where competitors like Delivery Hero dominated big cities.[1][2]
In 2017, Mail.ru Group acquired a 90.09% stake for $18 million in an all-cash deal, valuing ZakaZaka at $20 million, following an earlier minority investment; this consolidated Mail.ru's dominance in Russian food delivery alongside its prior purchase of market leader Delivery Club.[1]
ZakaZaka was established in 2013 in Russia, with an address later listed in Moscow.[4] Cofounder Ruslan Gafurov highlighted the company's early strengths in retention and regional reach, which attracted Mail.ru's initial 9.91% investment before the full acquisition.[1] The idea emerged amid rising demand for online food delivery in Russia, positioning ZakaZaka as a key challenger to incumbents; by 2016-2017, it had scaled to significant traction with thousands of restaurant partners and growing order volumes, culminating in Mail.ru's buyout to bolster its ecosystem.[1][3]
ZakaZaka rode the early wave of food delivery digitization in Russia, a market seeing rapid consolidation as internet giants like Mail.ru aggregated players to counter global entrants like Delivery Hero.[1] Its timing capitalized on mobile adoption and urban-rural demand gaps, with 2016-2017 revenues and order growth signaling maturing e-commerce logistics.[1][3] By joining Mail.ru, it amplified ecosystem influence, strengthening domestic food tech against international competition and paving the way for integrated services blending delivery with broader online platforms.[1]
Post-2017 acquisition, ZakaZaka was fully integrated into Mail.ru (now VK Group), likely fueling scaled operations in Russia's evolving food delivery sector amid super-app trends and post-pandemic demand surges. Future shape will hinge on VK's mobile synergies and logistics advancements, potentially expanding into adjacent on-demand services; its legacy underscores how regional startups can pivot influence through strategic exits, reinforcing consolidation in emerging markets.[1] This positions it as a foundational piece in Russia's tech delivery stack, echoing its original hook as a high-retention challenger.
