Belgian unicorn Deliverect strengthens its position in FoodTech with the strategic acquisition of Tabesto.
Deliverect, a global pioneer in FoodTech, proudly announces its acquisition of Tabesto, a leading provider of self-service kiosks for restaurants and fast-food chains. This move marks a new chapter in Deliverect's mission to deliver a seamless digital experience for both online and in-store ordering.
With this acquisition, Deliverect solidifies its position as a market leader, offering restaurants a powerful new tool to enhance customer satisfaction and drive revenue growth. Research indicates that self-service kiosks can boost restaurant revenues by 15 to 30 percent.
Kiosks as a catalyst for growth
Tabesto's innovative kiosks, now rebranded as Deliverect Kiosk, enable a transformative experience for restaurants. These kiosks provide an intuitive ordering and payment experience while improving operational efficiency.
"Today's consumers want the best of both worlds: speed and a premium experience", says Zhong Xu, CEO and co-founder of Deliverect. "With Tabesto, we've found the perfect partner to bring this vision to life."
The Deliverect team conducted a global search, especially across Europe, for suitable kiosk solutions. Tabesto stood out for several reasons. “Their innovative all-in-one solution is precisely what we were looking for”, Xu explains. "Most payment kiosks today consist of separate components – a tablet, a printer, and a payment terminal. Tabesto integrates all of these into a single device."
The future of payments is also integrated into the system. “For example, there's no need to insert a card or enter a PIN code", Xu notes. "It operates entirely with Apple Pay or other contactless methods, ensuring seamless and quick transactions, including sending digital receipts via email or SMS instead of printing physical copies.”
Tabesto's all-in-one solution combines hardware and software into a compact system, enabling restaurants to reduce initial hardware costs and benefit from a flexible subscription model. “Previously, restaurants had to invest thousands of euros in hardware. Now, they can start for 100 to 200 euros per month”, Xu explains.
Strategic synergies and expansion
The acquisition creates new opportunities for both Deliverect and Tabesto. Guillaume Hourmant, CEO and co-founder of Tabesto, highlights the benefits: "By integrating our technology into Deliverect's global ecosystem, more restaurants can take advantage of digital transformation. This is an exciting step not just for our team but for the entire industry."
Deliverect Kiosk is already available in the Benelux, France, the UK, Spain, and Switzerland, with plans to expand to additional countries in 2025. This aligns with Deliverect's broader growth ambitions, currently serving 52 countries and over 55,000 restaurants.
A vision for the future: Zhong Xu's perspective
Xu envisions a bold future for FoodTech. “Digital transformation in the restaurant industry is still in its infancy”, he states. "Rising costs and labor shortages make automation essential. Think of kiosks reducing wait times and freeing staff for personal interaction, or advanced marketing tools and AI-driven solutions helping restaurants operate more efficiently and better serve customers."
Xu sees automation as not just a solution to operational challenges but also a driver of innovation. "During a recent visit to San Francisco, I saw Waymo's autonomous cars driving through the city. This is no longer science fiction; it's reality. What's stopping us from delivering food by drones or creating fully automated ordering experiences in the next five to ten years? The possibilities are endless."
A step toward a comprehensive solution
With this strategic acquisition, Deliverect continues to expand its offerings. The company is building a fully integrated ecosystem that bridges online and offline ordering. "Our strength lies in innovation and collaboration. We aim to support restaurants worldwide in their digital transformation and prepare them for the future", Xu says.
By acquiring Tabesto and introducing Deliverect Kiosk, Deliverect remains a pioneer in FoodTech and a driving force in the hospitality sector's evolution. The company plans further innovations and portfolio development, with future acquisitions also being an option.
"We are already very comprehensive in the ordering domain", Xu explains. “But we're now working on tools to help restaurateurs improve their marketing. For instance, how do you rank higher on platforms like Delibro, Deliveroo, or Thuisbezorgd without incurring high costs? We've developed a marketing tool that uses AI to automate promotions and standard processes. Restaurants can manage their digital channels and menus and run marketing campaigns almost autonomously with our software."
In addition to the restaurant industry, Deliverect is increasingly targeting the convenience and retail sectors. Xu adds, “There is enormous potential for further digitization and efficiency improvements in these areas.”
Growth through strategic acquisitions
Deliverect's growth strategy extends beyond product development. The company actively seeks strategic acquisitions to enhance its offerings and scale. "We are a software company and love creating software", Xu emphasizes. "But when we find strong partners with complementary products or skilled teams, we are ready to collaborate or acquire. Thanks to our strong financial position in recent years, we can act swiftly."
With the recent acquisition of Tabesto, Deliverect's reach has grown to nearly 55,000 restaurants worldwide. "Even if only 10 percent of those restaurants adopt a new solution from us, we're already talking about thousands of customers. That makes a significant impact", Xu says.
Deliverect continues to grow not only in scale but also in versatility. Through targeted investments and smart acquisitions, the company strengthens its position as a leading player in the world of digital food ordering and marketing.
