A leading Brazilian food delivery service has taken legal action against a Chinese-owned competitor, accusing the company of engaging in corporate espionage to gain unfair business advantages.
The company iFood, which is owned by Dutch investment group Prosus, filed the legal complaint in a Sao Paulo business court against Keeta, which is controlled by Chinese group Meituan. Court documents reviewed by Reuters show iFood is seeking a court order requiring its competitor to modify its business operations and pay moral damages totaling 1 million reais, along with additional compensation amounts to be decided later.
According to the legal filing, iFood claims that consulting companies contacted its workers in an attempt to acquire sensitive company information in return for “significant compensation.”
Responding to the allegations, Keeta issued a statement saying the company supports an open and competitive marketplace while following all regulatory requirements. The firm rejected claims that it hired outside parties to contact individuals for such activities and stated it has not been formally notified of the legal action.
The lawsuit details how iFood discovered a former worker who had agreed to one of these arrangements and participated in video meetings while still employed at the company. This discovery prompted a police inquiry that included searching and confiscating electronic equipment.
iFood stated that these investigative steps led to obtaining records demonstrating that accounts connected to the Meituan domain had participated in the communications.
Keeta entered Brazil’s food delivery sector, which iFood dominates, roughly one year ago with an initial investment of about $1 billion.
