Our story

Built by people who
hate queuing.

Groovo started with a simple frustration: spending 25 minutes circling the car park and another 20 at the checkout — just to buy milk and bread. We knew there was a better way.

2026
Founded in Sydney
Oct
Launching 2026

Give Australians back the time they spend on groceries.

The average Australian spends 4.5 hours a week on grocery shopping — including travel, parking, shopping, and checkout. That's 234 hours a year. Nearly 10 full days.

We think that time could be better spent. With Groovo, your shop takes 10 minutes online, and collection takes 3 minutes at the store. The rest of your day is yours.

We also believe the local independent grocer shouldn't lose to the big chains just because they can't afford a click-and-collect platform. Groovo levels that playing field.

🛒
"I was stuck in the Coles car park for 20 minutes on a Tuesday evening. That was the last time."
— Pawan, Co-founder

Our values.

Speed is kindness

Every second we save a customer is a second they get back. We obsess over latency, load times, and how quickly staff can pack an order.

🔐

Security, not security theatre

OTP-only auth, server-side payments, row-level security on every table. You can't pay your way to a loophole here.

🏪

Local first

We serve independent Australian grocers. No multinationals. Every partner store is locally owned and community-focused.

🌱

Less waste

Planned orders mean less impulse buying and less food waste. A better shop for you is a better outcome for the planet.

📡

Real-time, always

If something changes — an item is out of stock, your order is ready, your bay is assigned — you know instantly. No polling, no refreshing.

🇦🇺

Australian through and through

Sydney servers, AUD pricing, GST-inclusive, AU phone numbers, Afterpay support. We're not a US startup that added a dollar sign.

Our journey

From frustration to launch.

AUG 2024
The idea
Co-founders Pawan and Jamie sketch the first version of Groovo on a napkin at a café in Surry Hills, after a particularly bad Woolworths car park experience.
2026
First store partner
Groovo signs its first store partners in one Sydney suburb, so a customer always has a nearby option.
FEB 2025
App Store launch
Groovo launches on iOS and Android in Sydney. 500 downloads in the first week. 4.8-star rating on day one.
JUN 2025
Melbourne expansion
Groovo expands to Melbourne with 12 new store partners in Fitzroy, Collingwood, and South Yarra.
2026
Launch.
Opening to customers in one suburb first. We would rather five stores work properly than fifty be listed.

Small team. Big ambitions.

P
Pawan Dhull
Co-founder & CEO
Previously built retail tech at Atlassian. Grew up in his family's grocery store and understands both sides of the counter.
J
Jamie Chen
Co-founder & CTO
Former Canva infrastructure engineer. Obsessed with real-time systems and making things impossibly fast.
A
Anika Roy
Head of Partnerships
Spent 8 years working with independent retailers across Australia. Knows every FMCG pain point by name.
M
Marcus T.
Lead Designer
Designed apps used by 10M+ people. Now making sure Groovo is the most intuitive grocery app ever built.

We're hiring. If you care about speed, local commerce, and making things that work perfectly — let's talk.

View open roles →