Indian cloud kitchen unicorn Rebel Foods is set to go against Zomato and Swiggy via an IPO, while Temasek Holdings reportedly makes a play for a significant stake in Rebel Foods. The firm’s smart food court model, launched in Pune in 2023 and soon to be under the EatSure banner, is what sets it apart from other cloud kitchens: pre-order food for take-away and order food from different outlets for home deliveries. This could expand EatSure's food court format and branded outlets for a dine-in experience. A differentiator for Rebel Foods is the launch of REbel Launcher, which allows established brands to leverage the company's expertise in this field by offering supply chain support and full-stack technology solutions, without having to invest in infrastructure to launch delivery-only kitchens.
Rebel Foods operates over 450 kitchens in 75 cities, and is also in the Middle East, North Africa, Indonesia, and the UK. Uphill battles ahead include building brand awareness for in-house brand EatSure compared with competitors such as Jubilant Foodworks owner of the Domino’s franchise in India and McDonald’s owner Westlife Foodworks.
Also announced this week, Jio Platforms' bottom line saw a YoY shot of 25% and Temasek will acquire a controlling stake in Lendingkart with INR 252 Cr (USD 33.4 Mn), while Karnataka is planning to add fees for transactions on aggregator platforms.