Wednesday, June 4
Delivery Hero cartel: What the €223 million EU fine means for its Berlin HQ
Delivery Hero’s headquarters are located in Berlin-Mitte, where the company employs more than 1,000 people—despite no longer operating in the city. Now, the Berlin-based tech giant has been hit with an EU antitrust fine of over €223 million for its role in a covert cartel scheme with Spanish subsidiary Glovo.
Between 2018 and 2022, the two firms committed a serious competition crime: they unlawfully divided markets, exchanged sensitive business information, and agreed not to hire each other’s employees—practices that suppress competition, limit consumer choice, and breach EU antitrust laws. Both companies have admitted to the charges.
The fine is not expected to significantly affect the company’s growth. In 2024, Delivery Hero reported its first annual profit, earning €693 million on revenue of €12.8 billion. The company exited the German market in 2018, selling its delivery services to the group behind Lieferando. A later attempt to re-enter the market with a brand called Foodpanda ended after just six months in 2021.
The outlook for 2025 suggests continued growth, with major investments planned in technologies such as delivery robots and drones.
