In a major escalation in the ongoing dispute between the once high-flying delivery start-up and its biggest investor, Nazim Salur and Serkan Borancili, co-founders of Turkish food and grocery delivery startup Getir, have filed a $700 million lawsuit against Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Investment Co., alleging the sovereign wealth fund withheld prime assets promised to them by 2024. Violated the restructuring agreement. The claim, filed at the High Court in London, marks a dramatic escalation in a case that has become one of the delivery sector’s most-watched legal disputes.The legal action comes just days after Mubadala agreed to sell Getir’s main food delivery business in Turkey to Uber Technologies for about $335 million, underscoring how bad relations have become between the Turkish firm’s founders and its Emirati backer.
What happened between a Turkish food and grocery delivery startup and an Abu Dhabi investor
The lawsuit focuses on a June 2024 restructuring deal, under which Mubadala, which took majority control of Getir’s Turkish operations, agreed to transfer a specific bundle of assets to the founders as part of the company’s restructuring. These include international units and, critically, Getir Finance, a technology-driven finance platform that was valued at about $510 million last year.However, Salur and Boransilli argue that only the least profitable elements, such as FreshDirect (a grocery delivery business based in New York) and n11 (an online commerce platform), were ever handed over to them, while valuable and strategic assets such as Getir Finance were never transferred as promised. The lawsuit claims that Mubadala and its affiliated entities conspired to violate the terms, significantly diluting the founders’ control and value.Lawyers for the founders have said that the original agreement envisioned a clear separation and control over Getir’s profitable technology and international weapons, but the final offer, tabled in December 2024, “substantially deviated” from those terms and was highly damaging to Salur and Boransilli. Mubadala has not yet filed a defense in the case.
Getir, from the pandemic surge to the post-pandemic struggles
Understanding this legal conflict requires some context about Getir’s rapid growth and recent challenges. Founded in Istanbul in 2015, Getir became one of the early players in the instant commerce delivery sector, offering ultra-fast grocery and food delivery through on-demand app order fulfillment and saw its valuation rise to nearly $12 billion in 2022.
Turkey’s Getir seeks $700 million from Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala as Uber takeover looms
However, like many pandemic-era upstarts, the company faced a downturn as demand normalized and investors stopped paying attention to high-growth tech valuations. It subsequently reduced operations outside Turkey and Europe and restructured with the support of Mubadala, culminating in a major organizational split to reset its business for long-term sustainability.In recent months, Getir has been the subject of several major investor moves, including the sale of its Turkish delivery business to Uber, a deal that underlined a shift in Mubadala’s strategy and heightened founders’ dissatisfaction with how the overall plan was unfolding.
Getir’s legal and strategic bets: why it matters now
The $700 million lawsuit is significant for several reasons:
- Technical dispute worth billions of dollars – It pits startup founders against a major sovereign wealth fund in one of the biggest legal disputes involving delivery platforms since the pandemic, underscoring the complex dynamics of founder-investor relationships when fast scale meets long-term strategy disagreements.
- Control of high value assets – At the core of the legal battle is control over Getir’s technology and future revenue sources, particularly Getir Finance. If the founders are successful, it could mean reclaiming those assets or securing huge compensation, a huge win in a case where the value of what was promised is less than what was delivered.
- Broad market implications – The lawsuit comes at a time when delivery and logistics companies globally are reevaluating profitability and strategic direction post-Covid, with companies consolidating, transforming or exiting the market entirely. A decision in London could have implications for venture capital, startup governance and cross-border investment norms.
Uber deal and its consequences: Adding fuel to the fire
Legal time is important. Just last week, Uber confirmed a deal to acquire Getir’s food delivery operations in Turkiye from Mubadala for approximately $335 million, a move that not only strengthens Uber’s presence in a key market, but also leaves open questions about how the remaining parts of Getir will be managed and monetized.
Turkiye’s Getir vs Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala: $700M fight begins after Uber’s entry
That sale heightened the founders’ frustrations with Mubadala’s leadership, with Salur and Boransilli arguing that the spirit of the restructuring deal was not respected, especially when strategic parts of the business changed. His decision to prosecute it now signals that he believes he has a strong case and significant profits, even though his company’s valuation and operating footprint have declined from pandemic highs.
what happens next?
The case, which is being heard at the High Court in London, will unfold over months and possibly years, as legal teams from both sides present evidence about contractual obligations, alleged breaches and the exact nature of the asset transfer. Mubadala’s response, which has not yet been filed, will be crucial in shaping the next chapter. Investors, entrepreneurs and analysts will be watching closely, as the results could impact how future startups negotiate restructuring deals with deep-pocketed strategic investors, particularly sovereign wealth funds, whose incentives sometimes differ from the founders’ viewpoint.Founders Nazim Salur and Serkan Borancili have sued Mubadala Investment Co. for at least $700 million, claiming it was withheld from promised assets during a 2024 restructuring. The dispute centered on alleged violations of the restructuring agreement involving valuable entities such as Getir Finance, while only less profitable entities were transferred. The lawsuit follows Uber’s acquisition of Getir’s Turkish delivery operations for approximately $335 million, a move that has heightened tensions. The legal battle highlights deep issues between startup founders and large strategic investors, which has implications for future break-ups and restructuring deals in the global tech industry.