Drizly Acquisition, Valuation, Funding & Investors

Drizly was acquired by Uber for $1.1B in February 2021.

Drizly acquisition price

$1.1B

Acquired by Uber · Feb 2021

Cumulative funding Drizly raised

$120M

across 7 funding rounds

Key investors in Drizly

  • Polaris Partners
  • Tiger Global
  • Accomplice
  • Fairhaven Capital Partners
  • Suffolk Equity Partners
  • FJ Labs
  • Atlas Venture
  • Vayner/RSE

Drizly Overview

About Drizly

Drizly is a Boston-headquartered on-demand alcohol delivery service partnering with retailers in over 200 U.S. markets. Founded in 2012, the platform delivers beer, wine, and spirits within an hour from local stores using a mobile app with personalized recommendations. Acquired by Uber in 2021, Drizly connects 5,000 retailers including Total Wine and local shops, handling age verification and expanding to same-day shipping options.


Founded

2012

HQ

United StatesBoston, MA

Website

drizly.com

Status

Acquired

Customer focus

B2C

Revenue model

Commission

Valuation

$1.1B (acquired Feb 2021)

Drizly Acquisition

Drizly was acquired by Uber for $1.1B on 2 February 2021.

Before the acquisition Drizly had raised $120M across 7 funding rounds.

Drizly acquisition details
AcquirerDateTypePrice
2 Feb 2021PE buyout$1.1B

Drizly Funding History

Drizly has raised a total of $120M across 7 funding rounds.

Drizly's first fundraising round was a $2M seed round in January 2014. The most recent completed round was a $50M Series C in August 2020.

Drizly funding rounds

Drizly funding rounds
DateStageInvestorsRaisedDeal Summary
Aug 2020Series CAvenir (lead); FJ Labs; Tiger Global$50MDrizly Group, operator of Drizly as the largest U.S. alcohol delivery marketplace, closed a $50 million Series C funding round on August 20, 2020, led by Avenir with participation from Tiger Global and other existing investors including FJ Labs. The round supports expansion of Drizly's three-tier compliant e-commerce platform for alcohol and Lantern, a new cannabis commerce platform launched in March 2020 operating in Massachusetts and Michigan. Drizly provides consumers with wide selection, best prices, and fastest delivery while enabling retailers, wholesalers, and brands in the $120 billion off-premise alcohol market, forecasting 20% of off-trade purchases moving online within five years from less than 2% in early 2020. The company reported over 350% growth in 2020 compared to 2019, doubled its retail partners since January 1, 2020, and achieved sustained profitability, operating in 235 markets across North America with 3,300 independent and chain retail partners. CEO Cory Rellas highlighted the investment as validation of industry leadership to accelerate product and customer growth. Avenir's Andrew Sugrue emphasized Drizly's focus on alcohol delivery amid consumer migration to online shopping. Drizly was later acquired by Uber in February 2021 for $1.1 billion, but details pertain solely to the 2020 Series C.
Dec 2018Series CTiger Global (lead); Polaris Partners$35MDrizly is an on-demand alcohol delivery marketplace founded in 2012 by cousins Nick and Cory Rellas, along with Justin Robinson and Spencer Frazier. The platform allows customers to order wine, beer, and spirits online with delivery to their homes, positioning the company as a technology-driven modernization of the alcohol retail industry. Drizly raised multiple funding rounds throughout its growth, with investors including Polaris Partners, Avenir Growth Capital, Tiger Global Management, and others, accumulating approximately $119.6 million in total venture capital funding across nine rounds. The company experienced significant growth particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic when demand for on-demand alcohol delivery surged. In February 2021, Uber Technologies acquired Drizly for $1.1 billion in stock and cash, making it a unicorn exit.
Feb 2017Series BPolaris Partners (lead); Accomplice$17MDrizly is an alcohol delivery platform founded by four entrepreneurs including Notre Dame alumnus Cory Rellas. The service connects consumers with local liquor retailers across the U.S. and Canada, allowing customers to order beer, wine, and spirits through a mobile app with promised delivery in under one hour. Drizly raised $17 million in Series B funding led by Polaris Partners in February 2017. This round was part of the company's broader growth trajectory, which culminated in raising $119.6 million total across multiple rounds before being acquired by Uber Technologies for $1.1 billion in February 2021. The company achieved significant scale, operating in more than 1,400 U.S. cities by the time of acquisition.
May 2015Series APolaris Partners (lead); Accomplice; First Beverage Group; Suffolk Equity Partners; Cava Capital; Reynolds & Company Venture Partners; Fairhaven Capital Partners$13MDrizly is a mobile shopping platform that connects consumers with liquor stores for beer, wine, and spirits delivery. The company integrates with retail point-of-sale systems to streamline order fulfillment and partners exclusively with liquor stores that operate their own delivery infrastructure, eliminating the need to build proprietary logistics. In May 2015, Drizly closed a $13 million Series A funding round led by Polaris Partners, with participation from First Beverage Group, Suffolk Equity Partners, and other existing investors. This round brought total funding to $17.8 million. At the time of the funding announcement, Drizly was operational in 14 U.S. markets and Canada, handling orders in the low tens of thousands monthly with approximately 25% month-over-month growth across major markets. The company charged liquor store partners a monthly licensing fee based on location, transaction volume, and other factors. Drizly had secured a partnership with the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America as their technology partner, providing direct access to a network of wholesalers to expand vendor relationships.
May 2014SeedContinental Investors (lead); Suffolk Equity Partners; Apple Core Holdings; Vayner/RSE$3MDrizly is an on-demand alcohol delivery service that partners with local retailers to deliver beer, wine, and spirits within 20-40 minutes via app or online ordering. The company launched in Boston two years prior to the round and had expanded to New York, with Los Angeles planned next. In May 2014, Drizly closed a $2.5 million seed round led by Continental Investors, with participation from Apple Core Holdings, Suffolk Equity Partners, and Vayner/RSE. This round folded into an existing $2.3 million seed, bringing the total raised to $4.8 million. Funds were intended to expand into new markets and build out the team.
Jan 2014SeedBoston Syndicates (BOSS)$300K-
Jan 2014SeedJulian Jung; Breakaway Ventures; Ivan Mitrovic; Lars Albright; Alex Doll; Continental Advisors; Fred Shilmover; Abundance Partners; Atlas Venture; Chase Garbarino; Fairhaven Capital Partners; Chris Merrill$2M-

Who has invested in Drizly?

25 investors have backed Drizly across its funding rounds, including Polaris Partners, Tiger Global, Accomplice, Fairhaven Capital Partners, Suffolk Equity Partners and FJ Labs.

Lead investors include Avenir, Tiger Global, Polaris Partners and Continental Investors.


Drizly Investors

Investors in Drizly by funding rounds participated
InvestorHQRoundsRoleFirst check
Polaris PartnersUnited StatesBoston, MA3LeadMay 2015
AccompliceUnited StatesBoston, MA2ParticipantMay 2015
Suffolk Equity PartnersUnited StatesUnited States2ParticipantMay 2014
Tiger GlobalUnited StatesNew York City, NY2LeadDec 2018
Fairhaven Capital PartnersUnited StatesBoston, MA2ParticipantJan 2014
Julian JungUnited StatesSan Francisco, CA1ParticipantJan 2014
Breakaway VenturesUnited StatesBoston, MA1ParticipantJan 2014
Boston Syndicates (BOSS)United StatesBoston, MA1ParticipantJan 2014
Ivan MitrovicUnited StatesUnited States1ParticipantJan 2014
First Beverage GroupUnited StatesLos Angeles, CA1ParticipantMay 2015
Lars AlbrightUnited StatesBoston, MA1ParticipantJan 2014
FJ LabsUnited StatesNew York City, NY1ParticipantAug 2020
Alex DollUnited StatesSan Francisco, CA1ParticipantJan 2014

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Benchmark 350K+ Funding Rounds and Disclosed VC Valuation Multiples

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Acquisitions by Drizly

Drizly has acquired 1 company to date.

Last acquisition by Drizly was on July 17th 2018. Drizly acquired Buttery for undisclosed valuation.


Latest Acquisitions by Drizly

Buttery
Description
Buttery is a mobile app connecting users to local liquor stores for wine, spirits, and beer delivery or pickup. Serving Greater Boston areas like Back Bay and Brookline since 2017, it lists full catalogs from 50 stores without markups. Orders arrive in under 60 minutes, covering neighborhoods from Newton to Newburyport.
HQ CountryUnited States
HQ City
Boston, MA
Deal Date17 Jul 2018
Valuationundisclosed
EV/Revenue
EV/EBITDA

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Investments by Drizly

Drizly has invested in 1 company to date.

Latest investment by Drizly was on October 13th 2021. Drizly invested in Lantern in their $40M Seed round.


Latest Investments by Drizly

Lantern
Description
Lantern is a California-based cannabis e-commerce marketplace and on-demand delivery network connecting licensed dispensaries with consumers in legal U.S. states. The platform facilitates real-time inventory tracking, menu customization, and same-day delivery via partnered couriers. Lantern serves brands like Pax and Kiva, processing orders through its app available in markets including California and Colorado.
HQ CountryUnited States
HQ City
Grand Rapids, MI
Deal Date13 Oct 2021
RoundSeed
Raised$40M
InvestorsFJ Labs
Valuationundisclosed
EV/Revenue
EV/EBITDA

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Drizly Competitors

Drizly competitors include listed companies like Goto Gojek Tokopedia and Baltic Classifieds Group, and private ones like Movile, Ninja, ezCater and Apna.

Public and private companies comparable to Drizly
CompanyHQStatusRevenueEBITDAValuationRevenue Multiple
MovileBrazilSão PauloPrivate--$1B-
NinjaSaudi ArabiaRiyadhPrivate--$1.5B-
ezCaterUnited StatesBoston, MAPrivate--$1.6B-
Goto Gojek TokopediaIndonesiaIndonesiaPublicly listed$1B($16M)$3B1.7x
ApnaIndiaBangalorePrivate$14M-$1.1B78.6x
Baltic Classifieds GroupLithuaniaLithuaniaPublicly listed$102M$79M$1.1B10.9x

Drizly Public Comps

Drizly is no longer listed, but its public comps include Yelp, Baltic Classifieds Group, Upwork, The RealReal, Tripadvisor, BuySell Technologies, LegalZoom, Grupa Pracuj, QuinStreet and SMZDM.com.

Last FYEV/RevenueEV/EBITDA
RevenueEBITDALast FYLTM2027ELast FYLTM2027E
Yelp$1.5B$251M0.8x0.8x4.5x3.4x
Baltic Classifieds Group$102M$79M11.2x10.9x14.5x14.1x
Upwork$788M$180M1.0x1.1x4.6x3.6x
The RealReal$693M$15M2.2x2.0x99.6x24.6x
Tripadvisor$1.9B$160M0.6x0.6x6.8x4.2x
BuySell Technologies$647M$70M1.8x1.4x16.2x11.8x
LegalZoom$756M$74M1.2x1.1x12.1x4.8x
Grupa Pracuj$214M$95M4.6x4.4x10.3x9.7x

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Common questions about Drizly

When was Drizly founded?Drizly was founded in 2012.
Where is Drizly headquartered?Drizly is headquartered in Boston, MA, United States.
Is Drizly publicly listed?No, Drizly was acquired by Uber in February 2021.
Who acquired Drizly?Drizly was acquired by Uber in February 2021.
How much was Drizly acquired for?Drizly was acquired for $1.1B in February 2021.
How much funding has Drizly raised?Drizly has raised $120M across 7 funding rounds.
What was Drizly's last funding round?Drizly's last funding round was a $50M Series C in August 2020, led by Avenir.
Who are Drizly's investors?Drizly's investors include Polaris Partners, Accomplice, Suffolk Equity Partners, Tiger Global, Fairhaven Capital Partners, Julian Jung, Breakaway Ventures, Boston Syndicates (BOSS), Ivan Mitrovic, First Beverage Group and 15 others.
Which companies are comparable to Drizly?Companies comparable to Drizly include Movile, Ninja, ezCater, Goto Gojek Tokopedia, Apna and Baltic Classifieds Group.
How many companies has Drizly acquired?Drizly has acquired 1 company, including Buttery.
How many companies has Drizly invested in?Drizly has invested in 1 company, including Lantern.
What was Drizly's last investment?In October 2021, Drizly invested in Lantern's $40M seed round alongside FJ Labs.

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