Online food ordering and delivery firm Foodpanda on Tuesday said it has acquired food-tech venture Holachef, for an undisclosed amount, marking its foray into the cloud kitchen business.

As part of the acquisition, Foodpanda will take over Holachef's business including its kitchens, equipment, as well as bring onboard the company's employees, a release said, adding Holachef's founders are also set to join Foodpanda's leadership team.

The company said it plans to launch its own brand of food products in different categories through this collaboration.

Pranay Jivrajka, chief executive officer of Foodpanda India, said, "We aim to build India's largest cloud kitchen network that will be a major step in further elevating the food experience for our customers."

A cloud kitchen works on a hub and spoke model, where there is a mega central kitchen that delivers to outlets from where the food is again distributed.

The company, owned by ride hailing giant Ola, said it will build deeper capabilities and tailor its offerings to cater to specific segments. It currently has around 125,000 delivery partners.

Saurabh Saxena, co-founder of Holachef, said, "Our mission with Holachef is to serve incredible food experiences to customers through kitchens with the highest quality and hygiene standards. We are delighted to join hands with Foodpanda, to accelerate our mission."

Foodpanda, which has been operational in the country since 2012, focuses on local innovation, technology, and delivery logistics, and claims to process over 300,000 orders a day from over 25,000 restaurant partners.

First Published:Oct 16, 2018 4:28 PM IST