> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://bullquill.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Instacart sale talks with Uber, DoorDash send shares up 9.2%
- URL: https://bullquill.com/instacart-sale-talks-uber-doordash/
- Published: 2026-10-24T07:14:54.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T07:26:28.000Z
- Description: Uber fell 3.4% and DoorDash fell 3.5% as the report landed. Instacart declined to comment, and no offer, price or buyer has been confirmed.
- Author: Rowan Ashby
- Tags: Finance, Trending, Instacart, Uber, DoorDash, #lang-en, #tr-instacart-sale-talks-uber-doordash

## Key takeaways

- Instacart, legally Maplebear Inc., is exploring a sale and has held preliminary talks with Uber and DoorDash, The Information reported on 23 October 2026, citing people familiar with the matter.
- Instacart shares closed up 9.2% at $56.44 on Friday, while Uber fell 3.4% and DoorDash fell 3.5%, according to Bloomberg (data as of the 20:00 UTC close).
- Instacart declined to comment to Reuters, and Uber and DoorDash did not immediately respond. No offer, price or buyer has been confirmed.
- DoorDash discussed buying Instacart in 2021 at a $40 billion to $50 billion valuation; those talks ended partly over antitrust worries.

Instacart has held early sale talks with Uber and DoorDash, The Information reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. Instacart shares closed up 9.2% at $56.44, while Uber fell 3.4% and DoorDash fell 3.5%. No offer has been confirmed.

Reuters and Bloomberg both followed up on the report, and neither news agency has independently confirmed a deal. The discussions are described as early, ongoing and with no guarantee of a transaction. Below is what is known, what is not, and why regulators would likely take a close look at any combination.

## Instacart sale talks with Uber and DoorDash: what the report says

According to The Information, as summarised by Reuters, Instacart has been working with an investment bank to weigh its options and has held preliminary conversations with potential buyers that include Uber Technologies and DoorDash. Bloomberg's account of the same report described the talks with the two delivery companies as "early and ongoing" and said they "may not result in a deal".

The name of the bank, any proposed price and the structure of a possible deal have not been reported. Reuters noted that Instacart declined to comment, and that Uber and DoorDash did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

### Is Uber still in the talks?

Accounts differ. Some later reports, citing Bloomberg and a person familiar with the matter, said Instacart had approached Uber in recent weeks but that Uber had walked away and the two sides were no longer talking. Bullquill could not verify that account against a statement from either company, and Uber had not commented publicly as of publication. Readers should treat Uber's current status as unconfirmed.

## How the shares moved

The report landed during U.S. trading hours on Friday, 23 October. The table below shows the closing moves reported by Bloomberg and Reuters.

| Company (ticker)             | Move on 23 Oct 2026 | Close / note       | Source    |
| ---------------------------- | ------------------- | ------------------ | --------- |
| Instacart / Maplebear (CART) | +9.2%               | $56.44             | Bloomberg |
| Uber Technologies (UBER)     | \-3.4%              | Fell on the report | Bloomberg |
| DoorDash (DASH)              | \-3.5%              | Fell on the report | Bloomberg |

Data as of the U.S. market close, 20:00 UTC on 23 October 2026\. Reuters reported the same direction of moves, with Instacart about 9% higher, Uber down around 3% and DoorDash about 4% lower.

The pattern is typical of takeover reports: the possible target rises while the possible buyers fall, as investors weigh what a buyer might pay and how it would fund a deal.

## What Instacart could be worth

Instacart had a market value of about $12 billion at Thursday's close, before the report, according to Reuters. Reuters added that a takeover premium of 30% to 40%, in line with recent public technology deals, would value the company at roughly $16 billion to $17 billion. That range is an estimate based on typical premiums, not a reported offer.

The figure is well below the $40 billion to $50 billion valuation discussed when DoorDash held talks to buy Instacart in 2021, according to The Information. Instacart went public in September 2023.

### The business a buyer would get

Instacart's most recent quarterly results, published on 6 August 2026, show a profitable business that is growing at a steady pace. The figures below come from the company's own release.

| Metric (Q2 2026)              | Value          | Change year over year |
| ----------------------------- | -------------- | --------------------- |
| Gross transaction value (GTV) | $10.35 billion | +14%                  |
| Orders                        | 90.3 million   | +9%                   |
| Total revenue                 | $1.04 billion  | +14%                  |
| Advertising and other revenue | $297 million   | +16%                  |
| GAAP net income               | $111 million   | \-4%                  |
| Free cash flow                | $480 million   | n/a                   |

Source: Instacart, "Instacart Announces Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results", 6 August 2026.

For a buyer, the attraction is Instacart's network of grocery retailers and its advertising business, which sells placements to consumer brands. Reuters wrote that a deal would combine Instacart's marketplace and retailer relationships with the buyer's delivery network and customer base.

## Why Instacart is exploring a sale now

Competition in grocery delivery has intensified. DoorDash and Uber Eats have pushed into grocery and convenience orders, and Instacart lowered the free-delivery minimum for Instacart+ members to $10 last year in response, Reuters reported. Amazon is also expanding Amazon Now, its service promising groceries and essentials in 30 minutes or less.

Emarketer analyst Zak Stambor told Reuters that Instacart "risks getting squeezed" between retailers building their own digital channels and larger platforms. He added that a deal could give the business more resources and reach to compete.

Both possible buyers have been active dealmakers. Uber agreed in July to buy Germany's Delivery Hero in a deal worth nearly $15 billion, according to Reuters, and on 6 October it agreed to buy corporate catering platform ezCater for $2.3 billion in cash, as reported by BNN Bloomberg. DoorDash bought London-based Deliveroo in 2025.

## Antitrust questions

Any deal would bring together two of the largest U.S. delivery platforms, which is why Reuters flagged the likelihood of antitrust scrutiny. The 2021 DoorDash talks broke down partly because of doubts that a combination could win approval under the Biden administration, according to The Information.

Stambor told Reuters that the Trump administration has shown "greater willingness" to approve deals, though approval could require the sale of parts of the business. Regulators have blocked large grocery deals before: the Federal Trade Commission sued in 2024 to stop Kroger's planned purchase of Albertsons, and the deal was abandoned after a court granted an injunction that December.

## What is still unconfirmed

- Whether any formal offer has been made, and at what price.
- Whether Uber remains involved; one account citing Bloomberg says it has withdrawn.
- Whether other bidders, such as private equity firms, are taking part.
- The name of Instacart's financial adviser.
- Any statement from Instacart, Uber or DoorDash. None had commented publicly at the time of writing.

## What it means

For now this is a report of early-stage talks, not a deal. The 9.2% jump shows the market sees a real chance of a takeover, but the gap between Instacart's roughly $12 billion pre-report value and the $16 billion to $17 billion premium estimate also shows how much depends on a firm bid appearing.

The next signals to watch are a statement from any of the three companies, a regulatory filing, or further reporting on Uber's status. Instacart's third-quarter results, expected in the coming weeks, would be another moment for management to address questions about strategic options. Antitrust review would be a central issue for any buyer and could take many months.

For background on how large takeovers are structured, see our explainer on the [EQT Qiagen takeover](https://bullquill.com/eqt-qiagen-takeover-10-8-billion-explained/), our report on [Bose's Skullcandy acquisition](https://bullquill.com/bose-acquires-skullcandy-what-changes/), how [Fireblocks responded to reported Visa acquisition talks](https://bullquill.com/fireblocks-denies-visa-acquisition-talks/), and the [U.S. stocks session recap for 23 October](https://bullquill.com/us-stocks-daily-brief-2026-10-23/).

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Instacart being sold to Uber or DoorDash?

No deal has been announced. The Information reported on 23 October 2026 that Instacart has held preliminary sale talks with Uber and DoorDash, and said the talks may not lead to a deal. Instacart declined to comment to Reuters.

### Why did Instacart stock go up?

Instacart (CART) shares closed up 9.2% at $56.44 on 23 October 2026, according to Bloomberg, after the report that the company is exploring a sale. Uber fell 3.4% and DoorDash fell 3.5%.

### How much could Instacart sell for?

Instacart was worth about $12 billion at the 22 October close, according to Reuters. Reuters estimated that a typical 30% to 40% takeover premium would imply roughly $16 billion to $17 billion. No offer price has been reported.

### Did DoorDash try to buy Instacart before?

Yes. DoorDash held talks to buy Instacart in 2021 at a valuation of $40 billion to $50 billion, according to The Information. The talks ended partly over concerns about antitrust approval.

## Sources

- [Reuters via KSL: Instacart in talks with DoorDash and Uber for sale, The Information reports (23 Oct 2026)](https://www.ksl.com/article/51640360/instacart-in-talks-for-sale-the-information-reports?ref=bullquill.com)
- [Reuters via Investing.com: Instacart in talks for sale, The Information reports](https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/instacart-in-talks-for-sale-the-information-reports-4970302?ref=bullquill.com)
- [Bloomberg: Instacart rallies on report of sale talks with Uber, DoorDash (23 Oct 2026)](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-10-23/instacart-rallies-on-report-of-sale-talks-with-uber-doordash?ref=bullquill.com)
- [Bloomberg via The Spokesman-Review: Instacart rallies on report of sale talks with Uber, DoorDash](https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/oct/23/instacart-rallies-on-report-of-sale-talks-with-ube/?ref=bullquill.com)
- [The Information: Instacart shares rally after The Information reports sale talks](https://www.theinformation.com/briefings/instacart-shares-rally-10-information-reports-sale-talks?ref=bullquill.com)
- [BigGo Finance: Instacart explores sale as Uber walks away, citing Bloomberg](https://finance.biggo.com/news/6f0f91bd-961f-4f01-b4b2-840c378cfffe?ref=bullquill.com)
- [Instacart: Second quarter 2026 financial results (PR Newswire, 6 Aug 2026)](https://www.morningstar.com/news/pr-newswire/20260806sf20251/instacart-announces-second-quarter-2026-financial-results?ref=bullquill.com)
- [BNN Bloomberg: Uber to buy U.S. catering platform ezCater for US$2.3B (6 Oct 2026)](https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/business/company-news/2026/10/06/uber-to-buy-us-catering-platform-ezcater-for-us23b/?ref=bullquill.com)
- [Instacart investor relations](https://investors.instacart.com/?ref=bullquill.com)

This article is for information only and is not investment advice.