Rappi: Improving Cities and Creating Jobs

At Endeavor, we believe: To understand impact, you need to go beyond numbers and look to people. We’re proud to share what impact means to Endeavor’s network through stories of the people powering big ideas, and the lives Endeavor Entrepreneurs have transformed. These are Endeavor’s Faces of Impact. 

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Delivery logistics in cities throughout Latin America are complicated and deliveries can often take days. Rappi is out to fix that.

Originally launched as a grocery delivery app in late 2015 by Endeavor Entrepreneurs Simon Borrero and Sebastian Mejia, Rappi has evolved into an on-demand delivery service for “everything” in seven countries throughout Latin America. Rappi was born with the aim of helping cities become more efficient, caring for the environment, and improving the quality of life of citizens.

The service is enabled by a network of 30,000 couriers, or Rappitenderos, who fulfill a wide range of requests around cities, traveling on bikes and motorbikes. Together, Rappitenderos deliver almost three orders per minute. Customers can request nearly anything on the app, from typical orders such as groceries or takeout from a local restaurant, to help with running an errand, like withdrawing cash or going to the bank to pay a bill.

Small business owners also benefit, with an expanded reach around a city, rather than just a localized customer base.The platform was developed with a “do-good” mentality. For each merchant transaction, Rappi pays itself a 15% commission and pays the company’s couriers the delivery fee that customers are charged, supporting micro-entrepreneurs—and creating new ones in the process.

“Rappi has been very supportive of me while I work and study simultaneously. I make extra income and manage my own schedule,” said Alejandro Largacha, who has been a Rappitendero for over two years. “I’m constantly being pushed to become a better and more organized person, and that’s what I’m most grateful for with Rappi.”

The first Colombian company to reach a $1 billion valuation, earning it unicorn designation, Rappi has been a source of inspiration and transformation in the entrepreneurship ecosystem