Startup profile for Shipt: latest funding, latest known valuation, total disclosed funding, investors, status, sources, and why the company is interesting. Part of the Venture Capital Tracker startup directory.
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Shipt funding, valuation and investors

Same-day grocery and retail delivery marketplace founded in Birmingham; acquired by Target.

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Funding, valuation & investors

Answer-first snapshot

Latest funding

Venture (pre-exit)

~$65M (reported) · Date not disclosed

Latest known valuation

Not publicly disclosed

Total disclosed equity funding

Not publicly disclosed

Excludes debt, grants, acquisitions, secondaries, and IPO proceeds.

Current status

acquired

Stage not recorded · Birmingham, AL

Investors in latest funding

Other: Greycroft , e.ventures , Harbert Venture Partners

Latest tracked event: Acquisition (December 2017). It is shown separately because it is not counted as disclosed equity funding.

Sources: latest funding Last verified: 2026-07-26

Overview

Shipt is a membership-based same-day delivery marketplace connecting customers with personal shoppers for groceries and other retail goods. Founded in Birmingham in 2014 by Bill Smith, the company scaled a shopper network across dozens of markets before Target announced a $550 million all-cash acquisition in December 2017. Target stated Shipt would operate as a wholly owned subsidiary and continue from its Birmingham (and San Francisco) offices. Pre-exit venture backers included Greycroft Partners, e.ventures, and Harbert Venture Partners; public reports put pre-acquisition venture funding around $65M.

Why Shipt is interesting

Birmingham’s clearest venture-scale consumer exit: Bill Smith’s Shipt sold to Target for $550M cash in December 2017 while keeping ops roots in Alabama — proof the city’s marketplace talent can reach national retail infrastructure.

Product & use cases

Shipt members order via app; independent personal shoppers pick and deliver same-day from partner retailers, with Target as parent and a major fulfillment channel.

  • Consumers needing same-day grocery and household delivery
  • Retailers adding last-mile capacity without building a full gig fleet
  • Target guests using Shipt-powered same-day delivery from stores

Key facts

  • Acquired by Target (Dec 2017) for $550M cash
  • Founded Birmingham 2014 by Bill Smith; HQ still associated with Birmingham, AL
  • Pre-exit investors included Greycroft; ~$65M venture capital reported before sale
  • Same-day personal-shopper marketplace for grocery and retail

Funding history (newest first)

Acquisition

2017-12 $550M
  • Target (lead)

Source: https://corporate.target.com/press/release/2017/12/target-to-acquire-same-day-delivery-platform-shipt,-inc-to-bolster-fulfillment-capabilities

Venture (pre-exit)

~$65M (reported)

Source: https://www.axios.com/2017/12/16/target-buys-same-day-delivery-startup-shipt-1513388622

Investors in our directory

Funds linked from Shipt's profile — open a fund page for stage focus and related deal articles.

greycroft

Competitive landscape

Edge: Scaled shopper marketplace plus Target’s store network — a distribution advantage pure apps without a national retail parent struggle to match.

  • Instacart direct

    Largest US grocery delivery marketplace competitor.

  • Amazon Fresh / Whole Foods delivery adjacent

    Integrated retail + logistics; different ownership model.

  • Walmart+ / Spark delivery adjacent

    Retailer-owned same-day alternatives.

Notable stories

  • Target’s 2017 release said Shipt would remain based in Birmingham with Bill Smith continuing as CEO reporting into Target operations — a rare large consumer exit that did not immediately relocate HQ out of Alabama.

Industries

marketplace consumer

Market / IPO context

Editorial / static context — not a live quote.

Related funding articles

Venture Capital Tracker pieces that cover Shipt's financing or category context.

FAQs about Shipt

Practical answers founders, operators, and investors typically search for.

Shipt is a same-day delivery marketplace: members order groceries and goods; personal shoppers pick and deliver from local retailers.
Target bought Shipt for $550M in cash in December 2017.
Birmingham, AL, in 2014 by Bill Smith.
Target’s acquisition announcement said Shipt would continue operating from Birmingham (and San Francisco); company materials still associate HQ with Birmingham, AL.
Pre-exit backers included Greycroft (/fund/greycroft), e.ventures, and Harbert Venture Partners; reports cited roughly $65M raised.
Acquired — wholly owned Target subsidiary (announced as independently operated at close).
Both same-day grocery marketplaces; Shipt’s parent is Target, while Instacart is a standalone public/marketplace company with many retail partners.
December 2017 — $550M all-cash deal.
It remains the city’s best-known consumer marketplace exit at national scale.
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By Venture Capital Tracker

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Editorial note: AI tools assisted with research, structure, or drafting. Venture Capital Tracker retains human editorial responsibility for factual accuracy, relevance, and source quality before publication.