Deliveroo to set up new business intelligence unit in Singapore to drive regional expansion

BRITISH food courier Deliveroo is launching a new business intelligence unit (BIU) in Singapore to drive its expansion into the Asia-Pacific region. This new unit will be recruiting, and may also expand to have staff in Hong Kong.

Among other things, the BIU will use "advanced analytics, data science, and local insight" to enhance the group's performance, Deliveroo said.

Main functions of the unit include deepening the firm's understanding of the region through the exploration of food trends and habits, enhancing the performance of riders and restaurants, and identifying regional expansion opportunities.

In addition, the BIU will be looking to identify local companies and brands Deliveroo can partner to improve its offerings. According to the delivery app, priorities for the unit include boosting rider earnings, helping restaurants grow, and providing the best service for customers.

By predicting how many riders will be required in any location for a given week, the BIU will be able to drive optimisation of its rider fleet size, Deliveroo said. The unit will also provide restaurants with operational metrics to boost efficiency, and lead restaurant selection optimisation for customers.

Said general manager of Deliveroo Singapore, Sid Shanker: "APAC (Asia-Pacific) is a vital market for Deliveroo. By increasing our expertise in the region, we will be able to offer the best possible service to riders, restaurants and customers. Deliveroo is always seeking opportunities to innovate and expand, with the aim of providing new and exciting food options for customers, great flexible work for riders, and support for local restaurants."

Separately, Deliveroo also announced that it will create 250 new tech jobs at its global headquarters in London this year, with its tech specialists set to move to the Asia-Pacific region. These new hires will include data scientists, software engineers and cybersecurity specialists among other roles.