Finnish delivery technology company offering restaurant, grocery, retail and courier services through the Wolt platform.
Last updated October 13, 2026
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Overview
Wolt is a Finnish technology and delivery company headquartered in Helsinki. Its platform connects customers with restaurants, grocery stores and other merchants through mobile applications and a website. Customers can order prepared food, household goods, groceries and selected retail products for courier delivery or pickup. The company also operates Wolt Market, a branded network of grocery stores designed primarily for online fulfillment. The business was established in Helsinki in 2014 by six founders, including Miki Kuusi, who had previously led the technology and startup event Slush. Wolt initially launched as a pickup service in Helsinki in 2015 and added delivery the following year. It expanded first across the Nordic and Baltic regions and later into Central and Southern Europe, the Caucasus, Israel, Central Asia and Japan. Its platform model combines merchant software, customer ordering, courier dispatch, payments and logistics, allowing the company to operate as an intermediary between consumers, merchants and delivery partners. Wolt grew rapidly through geographic expansion and venture financing. Before its acquisition, it raised approximately $856 million from investors including ICONIQ Capital, Highland Europe, 83North, EQT Ventures, Tiger Global, DST Global, Prosus, KKR, Coatue, Inventure and Lifeline Ventures, as well as individual technology investors. The company was ranked second in the Financial Times 2020 FT:1000 list of Europe’s fastest-growing companies. In November 2021, DoorDash announced an agreement to acquire Wolt in an all-share transaction valued at approximately $8.1 billion. The transaction closed on 31 May 2022. Wolt retained its consumer-facing identity and continued operating as a DoorDash subsidiary, while Miki Kuusi assumed responsibility for DoorDash’s business outside the United States. DoorDash generally uses the Wolt brand in Europe and Asia, while it operates under the DoorDash name in North America and Australasia. By May 2023, Wolt reported operations in 25 countries and more than 300 cities, with more than 70,000 merchant partners, 150,000 courier partners and 20 million registered customers. The company also reported more than 7,000 employees across its offices. Its expansion has included grocery delivery, retail logistics, pickup, subscription benefits through Wolt+, and experiments with autonomous delivery technology. In 2024 Wolt announced the acquisition of Romanian delivery platform Tazz from eMAG; the transaction was completed in early 2025. Wolt also expanded into several additional European markets during 2025. Its operating model has attracted criticism concerning merchant commissions, pricing policies, courier classification and working conditions, issues common to the platform-delivery sector. Wolt remains an active DoorDash brand, although market participation can change as the group reassesses individual countries.
History
Wolt was founded in Helsinki in 2014 by six entrepreneurs, including Miki Kuusi. The company entered the market with a focused digital ordering proposition rather than a traditional restaurant fleet. Its first service launched in Helsinki in 2015 as a pickup-only platform. In 2016, Wolt added delivery and began expanding into Sweden and Estonia. The company also experimented with autonomous delivery robots in Tallinn through cooperation with Starship Technologies. Expansion accelerated during the following years. Wolt entered Denmark, Latvia and Lithuania in 2017. In 2018 it added Croatia, the Czech Republic, Norway, Hungary, Georgia, Israel and Poland. The 2019 expansion included Serbia, Greece, Azerbaijan, Slovakia, Slovenia and Kazakhstan. In 2020, Wolt launched in Japan, Cyprus, Malta and Germany. That year it also introduced Wolt Market in Helsinki, creating a company-operated grocery format alongside its marketplace of independent merchants. Wolt’s growth was supported by substantial venture investment. Before joining DoorDash, the company raised approximately $856 million from institutional investors and technology entrepreneurs. Its rapid expansion and operating performance led to a second-place ranking in the Financial Times FT:1000 Europe’s Fastest Growing Companies 2020 list. By May 2023, Wolt said it served more than 300 cities in 25 countries, working with over 70,000 merchants and 150,000 courier partners and serving 20 million registered customers. It reported more than 7,000 employees across its international offices. DoorDash announced its proposed acquisition of Wolt in November 2021. The transaction was structured as an exchange of shares and was valued at about $8.1 billion. It closed on 31 May 2022. Wolt remained a distinct customer brand, particularly in Europe and Asia, while Miki Kuusi became responsible for DoorDash’s operations outside the United States. The combination gave DoorDash a larger international footprint and allowed Wolt to draw on DoorDash’s resources, technology and global operating experience. After the acquisition, Wolt continued its European expansion. It launched in Austria and Iceland in 2023, followed by Luxembourg, Albania and Uzbekistan in 2024. In 2024 it announced the purchase of Tazz from Romanian e-commerce group eMAG; completion in early 2025 strengthened Wolt’s position in Romania. Further launches in Kosovo, North Macedonia, Romania and Bulgaria were reported for 2025. Wolt also developed Wolt+, a membership product intended to encourage repeat ordering through delivery-related benefits, and promoted it internationally in 2025. The company’s model has generated recurring labor and competition debates. In most markets, couriers operate as independent contractors, although Germany and Denmark have been identified as exceptions in the reference material. This arrangement places vehicle, insurance, pension, social-security and other operating costs largely on the courier, and has prompted disputes over earnings and employment protections. Restaurant groups have separately criticized commissions and alleged that delivery platforms can influence menu prices and accumulate commercially valuable demand data. In Israel, fee increases prompted parliamentary economic scrutiny. These controversies form part of the wider regulatory debate surrounding app-based delivery companies. Wolt remains an active DoorDash subsidiary and continues to combine restaurant delivery, grocery, retail fulfillment, pickup, merchant services and logistics. Its market footprint is subject to strategic review: in 2026 DoorDash announced that Wolt would withdraw from Japan and Uzbekistan. The brand’s current identity therefore combines Finnish origins, European and Asian local-commerce expertise, and integration within DoorDash’s international structure.
- 2025
Tazz transaction finalized
[1]The Tazz transaction is completed and Wolt expands its Romanian operations.
- 2024
Tazz acquisition announced
[1]Wolt announces the acquisition of Romanian delivery platform Tazz from eMAG.
- 2022
Acquisition closes
[1]DoorDash completes the acquisition on 31 May, with Wolt continuing as a distinct brand.
- 2021
DoorDash announces acquisition
[1]DoorDash announces an approximately $8.1 billion all-share transaction to acquire Wolt.
- 2020
Wolt Market launches
[1]Wolt launches its own grocery-store concept in Helsinki.
- 2016
Delivery and Nordic-Baltic expansion
[1]Wolt adds delivery, expands to Sweden and Estonia, and tests delivery robots in Tallinn with Starship Technologies.
- 2015
Helsinki pickup launch
[1]The platform begins operations in Helsinki with pickup ordering.
- 2014
Wolt is founded in Helsinki
[1]Wolt is established in Helsinki by six founders, including Miki Kuusi.
Products and positioning
A technology-led, convenience-oriented local commerce and delivery platform emphasizing broad merchant selection, reliable logistics, pickup and premium membership benefits.
Delivery marketplace · 2015
Wolt platform
Wolt’s principal product is a mobile and web marketplace linking customers with restaurants, grocery stores and other merchants. The service supports browsing, ordering, payment, pickup and courier delivery. Its technology coordinates merchant menus, customer communications, courier dispatch and order tracking in one interface.
Online grocery · 2020
Wolt Market
Wolt Market is Wolt’s company-operated grocery format, designed around online ordering and rapid fulfillment. It supplements the third-party merchant marketplace with a controlled assortment of groceries and household essentials, using local fulfillment locations to serve digital orders.
Subscription program
Wolt+
Wolt+ is a paid membership program offering delivery-related benefits on eligible orders. It is intended to increase ordering frequency and customer retention and became a focus of Wolt’s international marketing activity in 2025.
Last-mile logistics · 2016
Wolt courier services
Wolt coordinates a network of courier partners who collect orders from restaurants, stores and other merchants and deliver them to customers. Courier arrangements differ by jurisdiction, with the reference material identifying employees in Germany and Denmark and independent-contractor models in many other markets.
Controversies
2026
Danish Competition Council refers Wolt abuse-of-dominance case to court
Following an investigation, the Danish Competition Council concluded that food delivery platform Wolt violated the competition act by abusing its dominant position in three different ways, and decided to bring the case before the courts with a view to fining Wolt. Wolt said it fundamentally disagrees and has also brought the case before the courts.
Marketing campaigns
- 2025International Wolt+ campaign
25 countries
Wolt promoted its Wolt+ membership program through an international campaign featuring actor Owen Wilson as its first reported brand ambassador.
Outcome. Expanded international visibility for Wolt+ and positioned the membership product as a central part of the brand.
Brand decisions
2026
Withdraw from Japan and UzbekistanStrategyBackground
DoorDash reassessed the geographic footprint of its Wolt subsidiary.
Action taken
DoorDash announced that Wolt would cease operations in Japan and Uzbekistan.
Aftermath
The announced withdrawals reduced Wolt’s operating footprint in those two markets.
2025
Expand Wolt+ internationallyStrategyBackground
Wolt sought to build recurring customer relationships through its membership offering.
Action taken
The company launched an international Wolt+ campaign across 25 countries.
Aftermath
Wolt+ received broader brand exposure through a campaign featuring Owen Wilson.
2024
Acquire TazzM&ABackground
Tazz was an established Romanian food-delivery platform owned by eMAG.
Action taken
Wolt announced and subsequently completed the acquisition of Tazz, integrating its Romanian operations and network.
Aftermath
The transaction strengthened Wolt’s presence in Romania and was finalized in early 2025.
2021
Agree to DoorDash acquisitionM&ABackground
Wolt sought to combine with DoorDash through an all-share transaction valued at approximately $8.1 billion.
Action taken
Wolt agreed to be acquired, with its shareholders receiving a minority interest in DoorDash.
Aftermath
The transaction closed in May 2022. Wolt retained its brand and continued operating primarily in Europe and Asia.
Transaction value. $8.1 billion (Announced November 2021; completed 31 May 2022)
Recent events
Reported
Danish Competition Council refers Wolt abuse-of-dominance case to court[3]
Following an investigation, the Danish Competition Council concluded that food delivery platform Wolt violated the competition act by abusing its dominant position in three different ways, and decided to bring the case before the courts with a view to fining Wolt. Wolt said it fundamentally disagrees and has also brought the case before the courts.
Reported
DoorDash announces acquisition of Wolt[4]
DoorDash announced its acquisition of delivery platform Wolt in a stock transaction valued at about $8.1 billion. The transaction was expected to close in the second half of 2022.
Sources5 sources
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