goPuff is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and was founded in 2013 by two Drexel University students: Yakir Gola and Rafael Ilishayev. goPuff was originally an on-demand hookahdelivery service but expanded to delivering food and goods typically sold in convenience stores. The company began offering delivery services in Philadelphia before moving into other cities, including Seattle, Boston, Phoenix, and Atlanta. In 2016, goPuff raised $8.25 million in A round funding. In 2019, the company reportedly raised $750 million in funding from SoftBank, with a commitment for up to $250 million more. Also in 2019, goPuff opened a new headquarters in the Finnigan's Wake building in Northern Liberties. Gola and Ilishayev were included in a 2017 Forbes 30 Under 30 list for retail and ecommerce and later in the year, were together named Target Magazine's target marketer of the year. While founding goPuff, Gola and Ilishayev bonded over their similar ancestries and family backgrounds, and later became supporters of Drexel's Jewish community, providing funding for Drexel Chabad to purchase a new building in 2020.
Services
goPuff primarily delivers goods typically found in convenience stores such as snacks, drinks, household items, toiletries as well as pet and baby products like diapers. Beer, wine, and spirits are available for delivery in some markets. In December 2015, goPuff launched a beer delivery service called goBeer. In May 2016, they launched an alcohol delivery service called goBooze. In 2018, researchers from Northeastern University found that the goPuff mobile app recorded user interactions that involved personal information, and transmitted the resulting video to a website affiliated with analytics company Appsee. Appsee criticized goPuff for violating its terms of service. goPuff stated that it would remove Appsee code from future versions of its iOS and Android apps, and amend its privacy policy to disclose possible data transfer to the app. The company owns warehouses that stock many of the products it delivers, including electronics, food, medications, and pet supplies.
