Adit Gupta and Tom Falzani have been building the tech-enabled delivery service for convenience stores since just after the pandemic hit. The startup’s first iteration was inspired by Gupta’s parents who ran their own convenience store, but were missing out on the instant-needs delivery momentum created by apps like Uber Eats and Door Dash. Mom-and-pop stores didn’t usually have the infrastructure to be able to fulfill online orders like large chains could.
The pair and their team set up stores with tablets and the software to fulfill orders through existing delivery platforms. Lula’s technology allows convenience stores to list and keep track of their inventory for delivery by these third-party drivers for a subscription fee. By 2022, the company had grown to about 30 employees, and had raised a $5.5 million seed round as it expanded across the country, serving both standalone bodegas and chains like 7-Eleven.
READ FULL ARTICLE HERE
