Lowenstein Sandler's Emerging Companies & Venture Capital (ECVC) Group represented Instaleap, a venture capital backed global enablement and fulfillment solutions services platform that empowers retailers to streamline and scale their online operations, in its acquisition by Instacart (NASDAQ: CART), which describes itself as the leading grocery technology company in North America. According to Instacart’s announcement, the acquisition supports Instacart's strategy to expand its enterprise offerings globally and build the technologies that can power every single grocery transaction. This transaction underscores Lowenstein’s long-standing strength advising on venture-backed M&A and strategic exits for high-growth technology companies.
Instaleap, founded in 2019, offers purpose-built grocery technology designed to address core retailer needs, including marketplace integrations and fulfillment solutions services, and complements Instacart's broader portfolio of enterprise offerings. According to Instacart’s announcement, Instaleap has powered more than 100 million transactions and has established relationships with nearly 100 grocery retailers and marketplaces outside North America, including Cencosud, Continente, Jerónimo Martins, Lulu, and SPAR, and operates in nearly 30 countries, bringing deep local market expertise and a growing presence across Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. Instaleap’s CEO/Co-founder Antonio dos Santos Nunes, explained: "We've built our platform with a deep focus on the unique needs of grocery retailers across diverse international markets.”
According to Instacart’s announcement, Instaleap will initially operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Instacart to ensure continuity for its retail partners. Over time, Instacart expects to expand its enterprise technology offerings to Instaleap's partners, including Ecommerce, Connected Stores, Retailer Media, AI, and Data solutions. The acquisition reinforces Instacart's continued commitment to providing retailers with integrated solutions that drive business growth and deliver better consumer experiences.
"Lowenstein Sandler’s ECVC team is thrilled to have supported Instaleap in this transaction, as its services will greatly complement Instacart’s existing offerings and enable it to further expand across multiple continents,” said Meredith Beuchaw, partner in Lowenstein’s ECVC Group who co-led the transaction for Instaleap with Lowenstein’s ECVC Chair, Ed Zimmerman.
“We enjoyed working with GP Bullhound’s London-based team (led by Claudio Alvarez and Jaime Sendagorta), as they served as Instaleap’s investment bankers for the deal,” said Zimmerman. GP Bullhound also announced the transaction.
Lowenstein's ECVC Group is widely recognized for its work advising on growth equity and venture-backed M&A transactions, reflecting the firm's decades of counseling many of the most active participants in the global venture ecosystem. The Group's integrated approach, combining deep venture capital expertise with sophisticated M&A execution focused on the needs of venture-backed companies, has made it a trusted advisor to companies and investors seeking strategic exits and other liquidity events, as well as leading venture investors and founders across the United States and internationally, since it was co-founded in New York by Zimmerman and Anthony O. Pergola in the late 1990s.
In addition to Beuchaw and Zimmerman, the Lowenstein Sandler team that advised Instaleap included Frank W. Eucalitto, Yuan Tian, Juan B. Soto, Stephanie Stephenson, Crystal McDonald, Misheel Boldbaatar, Meera Patel, Darren Goodman, Jessica I. Stewart, Chloe Rippe, Kevin Colan, and Eric Sands.
About Lowenstein Sandler LLP
Lowenstein Sandler LLP is a national law firm with over 400 lawyers based in New York, Palo Alto, Roseland, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Wilmington. The firm represents leaders in virtually every sector of the global economy, with particular emphasis on investment funds, life sciences, and technology. Recognized for its entrepreneurial spirit and high standard of client service, the firm is committed to the interests of its clients, colleagues, and communities.
