App-based food delivery firm Glovo and finmid team to offer instant lending products to local businesses

Glovo, a food delivery technology firm operating across Europe, Central Asia, and Africa, has partnered with finmid, an all in one infrastructure provider for financing, to bring instant, personalised capital offers to SMEs using the former's platform.

Through this tie up, now live in Spain, Portugal, and Poland, eligible merchants can access a cash advance from within the Glovo platform. They can use the funds to scale their business in whichever way they choose. Whether buying equipment, renovations, freeing up cash flow, investing in marketing etc. 

All verifications and credit checks are handled by finmid, via its platform integration, and are made using real-time transaction and business performance data. Merchants then receive funding in 24 hours.

"The cash advance process was very quick and straightforward, which we are not used to seeing these days,” says Laura from Art Na Brasa (Braga, Portugal). “Food safety regulations in Portugal are constantly changing and we used part of the advance to purchase new equipment to comply with new regulations. Furthermore we were able to invest in a new specialty grill and a website, investments that were planned for 2026 only.”

Glovo is the latest partner to join finmid’s roster of platforms. Founded in 2021 by former N26 employees Max Schertel and Alexander Talkanitsa, the firm is now live in 20 countries.

Ferran Casulleras, Global Commercial Senior Director at Glovo, says: "We are dedicated to empowering small local businesses to thrive by providing seamless access to financing solutions. We often see that SME restaurants face cash flow challenges, and this is a highly effective tool to help them overcome that barrier.”

“Through our partnership with finmid, we are making it easier for them to invest in their growth, stay resilient, and feel supported by a partner that understands their day-to-day challenges. With already positive results on our partners, we are looking forward to expanding the programme further."

Max Schertel, Co-founder at finmid, says: “Glovo has built trusted relationships with thousands of small businesses. Our infrastructure helps turn that trust into meaningful financial access - faster, fairer, and embedded where it’s needed most. These early results show how powerful that combination can be for all involved. We are excited to deepen our partnership and unlock financial access for thousands more businesses across more markets."

2025 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

Food delivery will be a key focus area at the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards, which are now open for entries, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our 2024 hall of fame entrants were revealed during an event which took place at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London on 21st November, and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by comedian Lucy Porter.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “The event is now into its sixth year and what a journey it has been. The awards started life as an online only affair during the Covid outbreak, before launching as a small scale in real life event and growing year on year to the point where we’re now selling out this fine, historic venue.”

He added: “Congratulations to all of our finalists. Many submissions did not make it through to the final stage, and getting to this point is no mean feat. Checkout-free stores, automated supply chains, immersive experiences, on-demand delivery, next generation loyalty offerings, inclusive retail, green technology. We’ve got all the cool stuff covered this evening.”

“But just importantly we’ve got lots of great examples of companies taking innovative tech and making it usable in everyday operations - resulting in more efficiency and profitability in all areas.”

Congratulations to our 2024 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Lucy Porter, and all those who attended November's gathering. 

For further information on the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards, please fill in the below form and we will get back to you asap.