This archive report was first published on 5 June 2020.
On June 5, 2020, OjaExpress, a digital marketplace founded by Nigerian immigrants in Chicago, made history by being accepted into the prestigious Techstars Kansas City 2020 accelerator class.
The startup, which enables access to cultural groceries for immigrants and foodies, supports the growth of local ethnic grocery stores. By joining the Techstars Kansas City 2020 class, OjaExpress will join other innovative companies in healthcare, food supply, and justice for all.
Founded in Chicago in 2016 by Boyede Sobitan and Fola Dada, OjaExpress is an on-demand ethnic grocery delivery platform that aims to address the issue of food access and convenience for immigrant communities and foodies in Chicago and beyond.
The founders, inspired by their craving for Nigerian food and the need to be connected to their culture, realized that popular online grocery delivery platforms didn't work with mom and pop shops that serve ethnic foods. This led them to create OjaExpress, which lets users order ethnic groceries from local stores online and get them delivered the same day.
“We couldn’t believe that we have to go through hoops just to cook our cultural foods. So, we did our research, talked to friends in the same situation, and realized no service delivered global ingredients the same day,” the founders said. “We started OjaExpress to change the narrative. We want to give people easier access to the foods that bring a delicious piece of their culture to their home – and support the overlooked grocers that are indispensable resources for many ethnic communities.”
