Instacart vs Uber: Founders, CEOs and History
Instacart was founded in 2012 by Apoorva Mehta, Max Mullen, Brandon Leonardo and is led by Chris Rogers. Uber was founded in 2009 by Garrett Camp, Travis Kalanick and is led by Dara Khosrowshahi.
Company facts
Founders
Instacart
Apoorva Mehta
Apoorva Mehta co-founded Instacart in 2012 after working as a supply chain engineer at Amazon and trying roughly 20 earlier startup ideas.
Max Mullen
Max Mullen co-founded Instacart in 2012 and focused on the shopper and customer experience in its early years, later serving on the board of directors.
Brandon Leonardo
Brandon Leonardo co-founded Instacart in 2012 as an early engineer, helping build the first ordering and fulfillment software.
Uber
Garrett Camp
Garrett Camp is a Canadian entrepreneur who conceived Uber after struggling to find taxis in San Francisco. He co-founded StumbleUpon, funded the first UberCab prototype in 2009, and recruited Travis Kalanick to help build it.
Travis Kalanick
Travis Kalanick was the executive who turned Uber from a clever premium-car idea into a global transportation challenger.
CEOs and their tenures
Instacart
- Apoorva Mehta2012–2021
Founder & Former CEO
Created the company and grew it into North America's largest dedicated online grocery platform.
Source - Fidji Simo2021–2025
Chief Executive Officer & Chair
Shifted Instacart toward profitability and grocery enablement; left in 2025 to become CEO of Applications at OpenAI.
Source - Emily Reuter2024–present
Chief Financial Officer
Leads finance and capital allocation, including the 2026 plan to return most free cash flow through buybacks.
Source - Chris Rogers2025–present
Chief Executive Officer
Became CEO in August 2025 after serving as chief business officer. Under him GTV growth accelerated to 14% in Q4 2025 and Q2 2026, and Instacart expanded AI Solutions, no-markup partner pricing, and international Caper deployments.
Source
Uber
- Travis Kalanick2010–2017
CEO
Led Uber's aggressive global expansion, UberX launch, and founder-era growth before governance and culture issues forced a leadership reset.
Source - Dara Khosrowshahi2017–present
CEO
Professionalized governance, took Uber public, pushed marketplace discipline, expanded delivery, and led Uber into sustained GAAP profitability.
Source
Timeline: Instacart and Uber side by side
2009Uber
UberCab idea takes shape
Garrett Camp and Travis Kalanick developed the Uber idea after discussing the difficulty of getting a reliable ride in Paris and San Francisco.
2010Uber
San Francisco service launch
Uber launched service in San Francisco in 2010, proving that riders would pay for visible arrival times, stored payment, and digital receipts.
2012Instacart
Instacart Founded
Apoorva Mehta, Max Mullen, and Brandon Leonardo launch Instacart in San Francisco through Y Combinator.
2012Uber
UberX expands the addressable market
UberX brought lower-priced rides from personal vehicles into the product mix. That shift moved the company beyond premium black cars, increased driver supply, and opened the larger regulatory debate over licensing, insurance, and worker classification.
2016Uber
China exit through Didi deal
Uber exited China by selling its local operation to Didi Chuxing after an expensive subsidy fight. The retreat showed that local payments, regulation, mapping, and distribution could outweigh global capital and brand recognition.
2017Uber
Dara Khosrowshahi becomes CEO
Dara Khosrowshahi replaced Travis Kalanick as CEO after a year of cultural, legal, and regulatory crises. The transition mattered because Uber needed a more credible operating and governance model before entering public markets.
2019Uber
Uber becomes a public company
Uber completed its initial public offering in May 2019 and later reported roughly $8.0 billion in net IPO proceeds. The listing forced the company to explain its economics to public investors and shifted attention from geographic expansion to profitability.
2020Instacart
Pandemic Demand Surge
Online grocery demand jumps during COVID-19 lockdowns and Instacart recruits hundreds of thousands of shoppers.
2020Uber
Postmates acquisition strengthens U.S. Delivery
Uber agreed to acquire Postmates for approximately $2.65 billion in an all-stock transaction. The deal added U.S. Delivery density, local merchant relationships, and delivery-as-a-service capabilities as Eats became more important during the pandemic.
2021Instacart
Caper AI Acquisition
New CEO Fidji Simo buys smart-cart maker Caper AI for $350 million.
2021Uber
Uber One launches
Uber One launched as a paid membership connecting rides, delivery, and groceries. The product mattered because it gave frequent users a reason to keep more transactions inside one account instead of switching between single-category rivals.
2021Uber
Uber Freight agrees to buy Transplace
Uber Freight agreed to acquire Transplace for approximately $2.25 billion. The deal moved Freight deeper into managed transportation and shipper software, a different business from consumer rides but tied to the same broader logistics ambition.
2023Instacart
Nasdaq IPO
Maplebear lists on Nasdaq under CART in September 2023 at $30 per share.
2023Uber
Waymo partnership brings autonomous rides to Uber
Waymo and Uber announced a multi-year partnership to make the Waymo Driver available through the Uber platform, starting in Phoenix. The deal showed Uber's post-ATG autonomy strategy: partner with vehicle specialists while keeping the marketplace relationship.
2024Uber
$44.0 billion revenue year
FY2024 revenue reached $44.0 billion, up from $37.3 billion in FY2023. The result showed that mobility had recovered after the pandemic while delivery remained a larger and more durable part of the business.
2025Instacart
CEO Transition and FTC Settlement
Chris Rogers succeeds Fidji Simo as CEO in August; in December Instacart agrees to $60 million in FTC consumer refunds.
2025Uber
$52.0 billion revenue and $193.5 billion gross bookings
FY2025 revenue reached $52.0 billion, gross bookings reached $193.5 billion, and annual trips rose to 13.6 billion. The milestone mattered because it showed growth alongside GAAP operating income, adjusted EBITDA, and free cash flow at significant scale.
2026Instacart
Arpalus Deal and 14% GTV Growth
Q2 2026 GTV reaches $10.35 billion and Instacart acquires computer-vision firm Arpalus.
2026Uber
$14.8 billion Delivery Hero offer and 3,300-role restructuring
Uber offered €41.50 per share for Delivery Hero in July 2026 and launched the tender in September after Delivery Hero's boards backed it. The same month it announced about 3,300 corporate job cuts to remove management layers.
Acquisitions
Instacart
- Arpalus2026Undisclosed
- Eversight2022Undisclosed
- Rosie2022Undisclosed
- FoodStorm2021Undisclosed
- Caper AI2021$350M
- Unata2018$65M
Uber
- Delivery Hero (pending offer)2026$14.8B
- Drizly2021$1.1B
- Transplace2021$2.3B
- Postmates2020$2.6B
- Careem2020$3.1B
- Otto2016$680M
Questions about Instacart vs Uber
Who is the CEO of Maplebear Inc. (Instacart) and Uber Technologies, Inc.?
Maplebear Inc. (Instacart) is led by Chris Rogers and Uber Technologies, Inc. is led by Dara Khosrowshahi. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Maplebear Inc. (Instacart) founded vs Uber Technologies, Inc.?
Uber Technologies, Inc. was founded in 2009 — 3 years before Maplebear Inc. (Instacart), which was founded in 2012. Uber Technologies, Inc.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Maplebear Inc. (Instacart).
How many employees does Maplebear Inc. (Instacart) have compared to Uber Technologies, Inc.?
Maplebear Inc. (Instacart) employs approximately 3,400 people, while Uber Technologies, Inc. employs approximately 34,000. Uber Technologies, Inc. has the larger workforce at 34,000 employees, compared to Maplebear Inc. (Instacart)'s 3,400. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Maplebear Inc. (Instacart) and Uber Technologies, Inc. headquartered?
Both Maplebear Inc. (Instacart) and Uber Technologies, Inc. are headquartered in United States, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.
Who founded Maplebear Inc. (Instacart) and Uber Technologies, Inc.?
Maplebear Inc. (Instacart) was founded by Apoorva Mehta, Max Mullen, Brandon Leonardo. Uber Technologies, Inc. was founded by Garrett Camp, Travis Kalanick.
Which company has a longer operating history — Maplebear Inc. (Instacart) or Uber Technologies, Inc.?
Uber Technologies, Inc. has been operating for approximately 17 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Maplebear Inc. (Instacart) has been in operation for around 14 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Instacart vs Uber overview