Deliveroo, one of the UK’s most successful startups, has announced the appointment of a new CEO.
On the 2nd October, the app was officially acquired by DoorDash for a huge £2.9 billion. As part of the acquisition, founding CEO Will Shu stepped down and Miki Kuusi, the founder of Wolt, has stepped in to lead.
So, who is Miki Kuusi and what does this mean for Deliveroo?
Deliveroo’s Acquisition By DoorDash
In May 2025, UK food delivery company DoorDash made an offer to buy Deliveroo at £2.9 billion. The price was about 44% higher than what shares were believed to be worth at the time. This was good news to shareholders, but still quite a bit less than what Deliveroo hoped for when it IPOed back in 2021.
The deal, which was approved at the end of September, was officially completed on the 2nd October. What this means is that Deliveroo is no longer an independent company, it’s now fully owned by DoorDash, which is based in San Francisco.
By coming together, the two companies now operate in over 40 countries combined. DoorDash’s boss, Tony Xu, confirmed that the Deliveroo brand isn’t going anywhere. Quite the opposite actually – now that Deliveroo and DoorDash are joining forces, the company has a much better chance of out-growing (and out-performing) competitors.
Will Shu Steps Down
Deliveroo’s story started back in 2013, when co-founder Will Shu launched the company with Greg Orlowski.
The two entrepreneurs set out to help more people access some of London’s best food from home. Over the next 12 years, Shu grew Deliveroo quickly, partnering with over 182,000 restaurants and supermarkets.
Along the way, the company had some turbulent patches, especially as many questioned the legality of their riders, a false sense of demand over COVID and, as many put it, one of the worst IPOs in UK history.
Still, Shu didn’t do too badly overall, especially as he exits with a £172.4m payday for his 6.4% stake.
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In a statement announcing his departure, he commented:
“Taking Deliveroo from being an idea to what it is today has been amazing. Now, as growth and profitability accelerate, it feels like the right time for me to contemplate my next challenge.”
And despite rocky periods, Shu undoubtedly changed the way that people and restaurants interact forevermore.
So, Who Is Miki Kuusi, Deliveroo’s New CEO?
Deliveroo’s new chief executive is no stranger to the world of on-demand deliveries. Mike Kuusi, co-founder at Wolt, has taken the helm.
Wolt was acquired by DoorDash back in 2022 after growing into one of Europe’s fastest on line delivery companies. Since the acquisition, he has served as Head of International at DoorDash and Chairman of Wolt, leading expansion into new markets.
Now, Kuusi is heading to London to take the lead at Deliveroo.
In his first comments as CEO, Kuusi said:
“Having known Will and others from the Deliveroo team for many years, I’ve always admired what they have built: a strong brand, a great product, and world-class operations. I couldn’t be more excited to learn from each other as we take our shared mission to the next level.”
What Does This Mean For Deliveroo Customers?
In short – not very much. DoorDash has made it clear that the Deliveroo brand and operations will stay the same. All the acquisition aims to do is use DoorDash’s technology to to improve Deliveroo’s offering.
DoorDash CEO Tony Xu also mentioned that he wanted to expand support for local restaurants and work even harder to improve customers’ choice on the app.
What’s Next for Deliveroo Under Miki Kuusi?
In his new role, Miki Kuusi now leads the company into its next stage of growth. And with UberEats and JustEat to compete with in the UK, it certainly has a long way to go.
For Kuusi, he will likely bring a lot of the experience he developed at Wolt. For Deliveroo employees customers, it’s the start of a new era.
For now, we will wait to see how one of the UK’s most successful startups evolves in the next stage of its growth.