Post-mortem. Maple was acquired in May 2017. The account below was written after the end, with the outcome known. Separately, a blind test with the evidence cut off at November 2015, before the end, returned: not called safe. How the blind test works.

Maple

Defunct vertically integrated meal delivery startup that cooked its own food, 2014-2017

Blind testEvidence cut off November 2015 · Ended May 2017 · Result: not called safe

What happened

Maple ceased NYC operations and was absorbed by Deliveroo (acquihire), ending independent operations (May 2017)

Why it did not hold

Maple owned kitchens and delivery in a business where marketplace rivals owned neither cost, and it closed after burning $29 million.

Maple delivered prepared meals by operating its own kitchens and drivers, which meant it paid for food and workers out of every delivery it made. This was much more expensive than rivals like DoorDash and Grubhub, which simply connected customers to existing restaurants and drivers, so those competitors could charge less and still make money. Maple's real earnings per delivery were basically zero (just 30 cents after a full year of trying to improve), which meant its four kitchens and office staff had no money to pay for, so the company had no path to profits and was bought by a bigger company called Deliveroo as a way to shut down.

AI pressure: None apparent. Maple shut down in 2017 before AI logistics or ordering tools became relevant to its model.

Bigger players: Deliveroo, plus marketplace rivals Seamless/GrubHub, DoorDash, and Postmates. Marketplace apps with no kitchens or food costs undercut Maple's delivery pricing while it carried restaurant-level costs.

What protected it. None apparent: no proprietary data, owned distribution, or lock-in ever offset its cost structure.

Timeline

2017-05-08Maple shuts down NYC operations; execs and tech absorbed by Deliveroo (UK)
2016-12Leaked investor documents expose Maple's unit economics and funding struggles
2016-03Maple reaches roughly 30 cent per-meal profit, about 2% gross margin
2016Maple reports operating loss of about $16 million for the year
2016David Chang launches competing delivery brand Ando, raising $7 million
2015-04Maple publicly launches in Manhattan's Financial District
2015-03Maple closes $22 million Series A led by Greenoaks Capital
2014-11Maple closes $4 million seed round
2014Maple founded by Caleb Merkl and Akshay Navle with David Chang as Chief Culinary Officer

Also gone

Chegg closed 2026 Course Hero closed 2026 One Hour Translation / Blend was absorbed 2026

All 62 post-mortems →

This page is a post-mortem, not a live assessment, and it carries no band. The blind-test result is the only part made without knowledge of the outcome.