DoorDash in exclusive talks to acquire Instacart, sources say

A deal is far from certain, but a combination would create a home-delivery giant spanning restaurants and groceries.

By LineZotpaper AI staff

Published26 October 2026

Read Time2 min

Illustration: DoorDash in exclusive talks to acquire Instacart, sources say

DoorDash is in exclusive discussions to acquire Instacart, according to people familiar with the matter, in a deal that would merge the two largest US food and grocery delivery platforms. The talks are ongoing and could still collapse, the sources cautioned, and the price and structure under discussion could not be determined.

The talks were reported earlier by The Information, which also noted that Uber had expressed interest in Instacart before that interest cooled, according to Bloomberg.

A combination of DoorDash, valued by the market at about $75 billion, and Instacart, valued at roughly $12 billion, would create a home-delivery giant that pairs DoorDash’s restaurant-focused platform with Instacart’s grocery-store network. DoorDash previously bid for Instacart in 2021 at a significantly higher valuation, but those talks fell apart over price and antitrust concerns, issues that people familiar with the matter say are less relevant today.

The grocery and home-delivery sector faces strong competition from Amazon and Walmart, which have pressured conventional grocers for years. Antitrust clearance for a DoorDash-Instacart deal may be less of a hurdle under the Trump administration, which has taken a light-touch approach to other large mergers, such as the Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount combination. However, dealmakers expect the regulatory environment could shift if Democrats gain ground in next month’s elections; senior Democrats have already said they would examine antitrust approvals and closed deals.

Instacart declined to comment. DoorDash did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

A DoorDash-Instacart merger would reshape the US home-delivery market, combining the two dominant players in restaurant and grocery delivery.
The deal’s fate could signal the antitrust stance under a potential change in administration, with Democrats vowing tighter merger scrutiny.
Consumers could see changes in pricing, service areas, and competition from Amazon and Walmart as the delivery landscape consolidates.

Background

DoorDash and Instacart are the leading independent delivery platforms in the United States. DoorDash, founded in 2013, focuses on restaurant meals; Instacart, founded in 2012, centres on grocery delivery from partnered stores. The companies have previously explored a deal: in 2021, DoorDash made a bid at a higher valuation, but talks collapsed amid price disagreements and antitrust worries. Since then, both companies have grown and the regulatory climate has shifted.

What to Watch

Whether a price and deal structure emerge from the exclusive talks, and whether the reported $15 billion valuation estimate holds.
The outcome of next month’s US elections, which could alter the antitrust enforcement approach for large mergers.
How Amazon and Walmart respond, both have invested heavily in their own delivery operations and could adjust their strategies if the deal goes through.

Sources

DoorDash in exclusive talks to acquire Instacart · Semafor

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 9 supported.

Show each claim

SupportedDoorDash is in exclusive talks to acquire Instacart.Semafor: “DoorDash is in exclusive talks to acquire Instacart, according to people familiar with the matter.”
SupportedA deal is far from certain and the talks could collapse.Semafor: “A deal is far from certain and the talks could fall apart, the people cautioned.”
Partly supportedThe combination would create a home-delivery giant pairing restaurant and grocery platforms, and the companies are the two largest US food and grocery delivery platforms.Semafor: “A combination would create a home-delivery giant, fusing Instacart’s grocery-store centric platform with DoorDash’s restaurant-focused one.”
Partly supportedThe talks were reported earlier by The Information.Semafor: “Instacart’s sale process was first reported by the Information.”
SupportedUber had expressed interest in Instacart before that interest cooled.Semafor: “The Information also reported that Uber was interested in a deal for Instacart, but Bloomberg later reported that that interest had cooled.”
SupportedDoorDash had a market capitalization of about $75 billion and Instacart a valuation of roughly $12 billion.Semafor: “Instacart has a valuation of roughly $12 billion, but at a conservative premium would likely fetch around $15 billion. DoorDash has a market capitalization of roughly $75 billion.”
SupportedDoorDash previously bid for Instacart in 2021 at a significantly higher valuation.Semafor: “DoorDash previously bid for Instacart in 2021, but at a significantly higher valuation.”
SupportedThe earlier talks fell apart over price and antitrust concerns.Semafor: “Those talks collapsed over price and worries about antitrust pushback, neither of which hold true today.”
Partly supportedPeople familiar with the matter say those issues are less relevant today.Semafor: “Those talks collapsed over price and worries about antitrust pushback, neither of which hold true today.”
SupportedAmazon and Walmart are strong competitors that have pressured conventional grocers for years.Semafor: “The grocery and home delivery space faces stiff competition chiefly from Amazon and Walmart, which has pressured conventional grocers for years.”
SupportedAntitrust clearance may be less of a hurdle under the Trump administration, which has taken a light-touch approach to other mergers, including Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount.Semafor: “The companies would likely not face antitrust issues as well: the Trump administration has taken a light-touch approach to other mergers, including a mammoth combination between Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount.”
SupportedDealmakers expect the regulatory environment could shift if Democrats gain ground next month, and senior Democrats have said they would examine antitrust approvals and closed deals.Semafor: “But dealmakers expect that window to close, or at least shift, if Democrats succeed at the ballot box next month: senior Democrats have already said they will look to probe antitrust approvals and closed deals.”