The Chilean startup Grupo Central raised $3M in a seed round that was led by Moonvalley Capital, Global Founders Capital (GFC), and Opera Ventures.
Grupo Central is a pioneer startup in the development of the Dark Kitchens and Dark Stores model in Chile. The startup offers professional kitchens specialized in delivery, along with urban logistics solutions, storage and distribution for e-commerce, logistics and technology for delivery, and more. Their deliveries start at 30 minutes from its Dark Stores.
The investors that led the round are major players in the ecosystem. Global Founders Capital has invested in firms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Slack, and Delivery Hero. Grupo Central is the first Chilean startup in its portfolio.
Sebastián Waldmann, Global Founders Capital’s leader and representative in Chile, explained why they decided to invest in Grupo Central:
“They have positioned themselves as pioneers in this ecosystem, promoting an attractive and innovative model through a team with a great track record and important professional experience. We trust in Grupo Central’s project and we are very happy to be part of their growth and strengthen its business.”
Alejandro Iglesias, CEO and co-founder of Grupo Central, shared that the startup is planning to expand to Peru and Brazil and consolidate its leading position in Chile. Also, they will strengthen their technology and logistics solutions:
“The growth of e-commerce and gastronomic delivery, both in Chile and in the region, requires technological and real estate solutions to be able to meet demand. That is why we are excited to continue taking on new challenges, consolidate the Chilean market and begin the international expansion to Peru and Brazil as a first stage”, he added.
Currently, the company has 25 Dark Kitchens distributed in five Hubs and 14 Dark Stores, operating in nine different communities in the Santiago Metropolitan Region.