There are many people who, when they hear about iFood, think that the brand must be foreign because of the name. But in fact, iFood is a Brazilian company, born here and creator of technology with national DNA — from the app to drones, robots and electric motorcycles developed with its partners.
The history of iFood began in 2011, when partners Patrick Sigrist, Eduardo Baer, Guilherme Bonifácio and Felipe Fioravante created, in São Paulo (SP), Disk Cook, a printed menu guide.
In this first version, orders were made through a telephone exchange. It was only in the following year that the iFood website and application would be created.
It was at this stage of the business that the company received, in 2013, investments from Mobile, a Brazilian group created in the late 1990s by Fabricio Bloisi to invest in technology businesses.
And who is Fabricio?
The current president of iFood is Fabrício Bloisi, a Bahian born in Salvador and who always had the dream of creating a large technology company that would make an impact in Brazil and the world.
At the age of 17, he moved to São Paulo, where he studied computer science at Unicamp (State University of Campinas).
As soon as he graduated, Fabricio created his first company, Movile, with another partner. “We started with two people, in a small room in a business incubator, without any investment”, recalls Fabricio.
Believing that Brazilians could also order food via cell phone, Movile purchased Disk Cook, which at the time delivered around 10,000 orders per month. Today headquartered in a building in Osasco (SP), iFood has grown and delivers 65 million orders every month.
“This whole idea of dreaming big started back in Bahia, with me dreaming that it was possible to build big technology companies here in Brazil”, says Fabricio. “And this has a huge impact: it allows us to generate more value, more investment and more knowledge here.”
National 100% technology
As a Brazilian company, iFood also feeds the innovation ecosystem and invests in the development of national technologies. Through the iFood Labs, a startup hub, iFood invests in national innovation in foodtech, logistics, retail, martech, fintech and greentech.
One of iFood Labs' recent investments was in the startup Write it down, which automates restaurant orders using artificial intelligence in messaging apps.
Other examples: in partnership with São Paulo company Speedbird Aero, iFood put into operation drones for use in delivery, with 100% technology developed in Brazil.
Alongside the Brazilian company Synkar —specialized in artificial intelligence—, iFood developed the robot AFROM THE, an autonomous electric vehicle that transports meals to iFood Hubs in shopping malls.
