How Gorillas became Europe’s fastest ever unicorn and what it means for your supermarket shopping, with Co-Founder and CEO Kağan Sümer

“We were 100% sure about one thing: if you go to the fucking moon, you shouldn't go to the supermarket. We have the technology to go to space and we’re still going to the supermarket? This is counter intuitive.”

Kağan Sümer is the founder and CEO of Gorillas, a grocery delivery service which promises to have your order delivered to your door in under 10 minutes, at retail prices. They’ve been blowing up. Recently launched in the UK, they’re the quickest ever European startup to be valued at over $1 billion and they’re only just getting started. 

“Gorillas is about four things: being authentic, taking bold decisions, keeping riding, and constantly changing things and owning the change.”

Kağan (pronounced Kaan, not Kağan) is celebrating Gorillas becoming the fastest ever European startup to reach a billion dollar valuation, and is now fighting hard to introduce the venture to the UK and US. If you haven’t heard of Gorillas, you can bet your bottom dollar they’re about to be everywhere. 

“You can outsmart me. You can out-structure me. You can out X me. But you cannot out self-discipline me. You can't outwork me. Because if I want something, I go for it.”

Before we strap ourselves into the Gorilla rocketship, we first find out what made Kağan the man he is, what shaped his foray into entrepreneurialism, how the company grew from one man storing drinks on his balcony to a billion dollar company, the four values of Gorillas, how Kağan’s vision for revolutionising delivery, building a new supply chain and infrastructure led to Gorillas phenomenal growth, and knowing when it’s time to move on and hand the mantle over. 

If you’re keen to learn from Kağan’s success story or to follow in his shoes, don’t miss this incredible episode. 

We chat about:

• Kağan’s path to Gorillas
• Gorillas phenomenal growth
• The mega funding round led by Coatue Management
• Hiring for behaviour, not skills.  
• The four values of Gorilla

Links:

• sifted.eu/startuplife
• gorillas.io

Want to receive our podcast on a weekly basis? Subscribe to our newsletter!