Founded by two tech entrepreneurs, it aims to simplify the shopping experience for students.

Chao, a Nigerian startup founded in 2022 by Gift Akobundu and Melvin Senne-Aya, enables users, particularly students, to order food, groceries, and medications for delivery directly to their university campus.

The startup was born out of the founders' observation that there was no efficient way for students to order meals from nearby stores, as no food delivery platform operated in the area. Akobundu, a software engineer, began engaging with restaurant owners to better understand their business operations and explore potential solutions. 

“It was not possible to efficiently order meals from stores because no food delivery platform operated within campus environs. I began talking with restaurants to gain deeper insights into their individual business operations, understanding what it would take to solve the problem as a software engineer – not just for users, but also for the stores,” Akobundu told Disrupt Africa.

Chao's solution features a mobile app available on both iOS and Android platforms. Users can create an account and access partner restaurants, grocery stores, and pharmacies. They can then place orders for cooked meals, groceries, or medications to be delivered to their location.

After launching its beta service, Chao decided to expand its offerings beyond prepared meals to meet the diverse needs of its target market.

The startup currently boasts over 3,000 users and serves two campuses: Babcock University and the University of Port Harcourt. Chao aims to expand to other communities within the next 24 months.

In 2023, Chao was recognized for its achievements, winning the eCommerce award at the Wema Bank Hackathon and Grand Summit. In 2024, the startup further solidified its success by winning at Markhack 3.0, organized by Eko Innovation Centre and GDM Group. This accolade earned Chao $1,000 in Amazon credits, a $50,000 seed investment from Eko Innovation Centre, and a three-month acceleration program valued at $10,000.

Adoni Conrad Quenum