Sheffield-founded e-grocery platform Delivery Drop is enjoying a strong start to the new year, having closed 2021 by securing £14 million of backing from a tech-focused US investment house.

MMA Global Inc, headed by former Sheffield United co-chair Jim Phipps, has added it to his portfolio encompassing the ZukiApp brand – having been impressed with promotion around last summer’s delayed Euro 2020 football tournament.

The on-demand platform has acquired 30,000 active users and 450 retailers in a first year of trading, with 1,900 drivers supporting it. It is now looking at further tech roll-outs and European expansion, while across the Atlantic it aims to introduce the gaming aspect.

Read more: ‘Butcher’s lad’ turned football club co-owning venture capitalist – Andrew Pettit in his own words

Delivery Drop majors on the convenience sector, with Premier, Spar and Londis key clients.

Founder and managing director Syed Sherazi said: “I am incredibly excited with this opportunity with MMA Global, it goes to show our business model in the last 12 months has grown from strength to strength. We are operating in a $25 billion+ (£18.5m+) online grocery market.

“With rivaled dark store operators we have adapted the model of the local stores as our operational centres, which gives us a scope of almost 50,000 stores in the UK who have the opportunity of on-demand delivery to their doorstep with our unique in-house technology.

“Our partnership will allow for explosive expansion to give the UK and Europe real convenience with new technology roll-outs in 2022. We are operating in 11 cities with constant growth month-on-month.”

MMA is Las Vegas-based, with the deal described as adding to the company’s technology stack.

“I am really glad to welcome Delivery Drop to the Zukisphere, where we intend to engage customers and to connect the worlds of games and cryptocurrencies with the world of commerce,” Mr Phipps said, having been on the board at The Blades for almost three years prior to the takeover by his associate, Saudi Prince Abdullah.

“Delivery Drop has visionary leadership and exciting growth potential. Delivery Drop’s technology was built in-house and is constantly being updated on a nimble, forward looking ‘learn as we grow’ basis. I knew we needed to connect Delivery Drop with the Zukisphere, when I saw them engaging their customers with prizified games during the last summer’s Euros. Their engagement was brilliant and of the kind that will work very well with Zuki.App.

“Another way that Zuki.App can be of service to Delivery Drop’s vendors is by offering them the opportunity to prizify their customer engagement using Zuki games.”