Mail.ru-Sberbank JV to get 75.6% in e-grocery service Samokat

MOSCOW, Apr 2 (PRIME) -- A joint venture of Russia’s Internet company Mail.ru Group and top lender Sberbank has signed binding documents to invest in Samokat, a grocery and home goods express delivery service, after which it will own 75.6% in the asset, Mail.ru Group said on Thursday in a statement.

“Acquiring the leader of this market in Russia is in line with our strategy. Since the very start of negotiations, we have been convinced that mass express delivery of food will disrupt consumer habits in Russia,” Mail.ru Group CEO Boris Dobrodeev said.

The deal is to be closed by July pending approval by the Federal Antimonopoly Service.

The joint venture will receive a controlling stake in Samokat following the purchase of shares from the project’s financial investors. The company’s founders and management will remain its co-owners with minority stakes.

Samokat will be connected with the ecosystems of Mail.ru Group and Sberbank, receiving the opportunity to use its partners’ tech and operational know-how, and to integrate with the other businesses of the joint platform.

Samokat delivers groceries and basic consumer goods within 15–30 minutes. Its network consists of “dark stores”, or warehouses that work exclusively for online orders through mobile applications.

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