iFood, a technology company and leading delivery platform in Latin America, has acquired Advolve, a Brazilian firm specializing in artificial intelligence for performance marketing and advertising. The move aims to strengthen iFood’s Ads business as part of its retail media strategy. This acquisition also aligns with Prosus’s broader goal to advance its position as a global technology company supporting ecommerce brands across several regions.
The Ads division at iFood was launched in 2021 to provide advertising solutions for restaurants and brands through the app. Since then, the platform has grown by combining its own ad offerings with partnerships on major external networks. More than 230 companies have used iFood’s advertising services across categories such as restaurants, supermarkets, pharmacies, and pet shops. Top advertisers have reported sales growth of over 40%. According to eMarketer, iFood ranked among the fastest-growing media revenue companies globally in 2024.
With this acquisition, iFood plans to further develop its retail-driven ads strategy and enhance connections between brands and consumers. The integration of Advolve’s AI technology is expected to allow brands on the iFood platform to create more targeted advertisements by instantly generating and optimizing creative assets. This process enables real-time testing and optimization based on performance data, reducing work that previously took days or weeks to just minutes.
Sam James, Vice President of Ads at iFood, stated: “Advolve will enhance our Ads vertical with AI across the entire campaign journey. Like iFood, the startup has technology at its core, and both share the same vision of being AI-driven companies. Strengthening Ads for brands and the consumer goods industry is aligned with how we see iFood’s growth across multiple fronts — always connected to our broader ecosystem. With this acquisition, the platform becomes even more relevant for advertisers, while also delivering more personalized and contextual offers to consumers.”
Prosus Ventures first invested in Advolve in February 2025. Following their investment, Prosus Ventures facilitated collaborations between Advolve and portfolio leaders like iFood to test the technology in operational settings. Pilot programs resulted in more than four times incremental sales for brands using these solutions.
The founders of Advolve — João Sobreira, João Paulo Martins, and Djany Veiga — along with their team will remain following the acquisition. Together with iFood they plan to build a retail media platform based on artificial intelligence and real-time consumer behavior analysis.
João Sobreira commented: “Advolve and iFood together are becoming an increasingly powerful media vehicle, helping brands and agencies reach consumers more effectively. With iFood, we’re combining technology and AI — the core of both companies — with a massive, recurring audience that orders food, groceries, pharmacy items, and convenience products every day. That everyday relevance is what makes retail media so powerful.”
