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company

Rappi

Colombian delivery unicorn backed by SoftBank, valued at $5.25 billion. Colombia's first unicorn. Operates in nine Latin American countries. Has faced labor ministry investigations and worker protests over gig worker conditions.

Track Record

Under Mexico's 2024 platform-worker labor reform (which reclassified app-based delivery/ride workers as employees with statutory rights), companies faced their first annual profit-sharing (PTU - participación de los trabajadores en las utilidades) distribution deadline in 2026. Rappi distributed the mandatory payments to qualifying workers, while Uber and DiDi did not (see related incidents). President Claudia Sheinbaum publicly credited the reform for delivering 'the first time app workers received profit sharing,' though only Rappi actually complied among the three major platforms.

incidental

In 2022, the Colombian Labor Ministry launched a probe investigating Rappi for its approach to health and safety of workers, and over whether the company violated local laws by refusing to negotiate with the union UNIDAPP. The investigation followed election of Colombia's first leftist president. Workers earn as little as $7 for 17-hour days, with 68.7% working 7 days/week averaging 10 hours/day according to Friedrich Ebert Foundation.

incidental

Rappi faced multiple worker strikes: August 2020 saw ~1,000 workers strike in Bogota over blocked accounts, low pay, and impossible point targets; December 2019 saw workers burn their orange merchandise outside headquarters demanding better conditions and occupational health coverage; July 2024 saw 100 workers protest at headquarters. Colombian Senator Robledo said conditions 'offend human dignity.'