Chinese Food Delivery Apps Fight for Brazilian Market Rights

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Two major Brazilian food delivery services, 99 and Keeta, owned by Chinese companies Meituan and Didi respectively, are now embroiled in a legal dispute over market dominance.

On August 18, 99 filed a lawsuit in a São Paulo court, accusing Keeta of trademark infringement and unfair competition. The complaint states that Keeta’s app employs colors, graphics,, and font styles similar to 99Food, which could lead to customer confusion. 99 also petitioned the court to force Keeta to redesign its logo.

Keeta responded by asserting that its visual branding was established over three years ago and has been associated with Meituan, which has been operating for more than 14 years.

This legal action followed a few days after Keeta accused 99 of engaging in anti-competitive behavior. Keeta claimed on August 14 that 99Food was offering upfront cash incentives to merchants to sign exclusive contracts that prevented them from working with Keeta, thereby stifling innovation in Brazil’s local food delivery industry.

On the same day, the Brazilian Association of Bars and Restaurants publicly supported Keeta’s stance, condemning exclusive agreements and other practices that limit market access.

Additionally, on August 11, a court in São Paulo issued an injunction forcing 99 to cease manipulating Google search results for the term “Keeta.” The court warned that failure to comply within three days could result in a daily fine of BRL20,000 (around USD3,640).

In the second quarter of this year, Didi and Meituan announced plans to expand into Brazil’s food delivery market. On April 5, Didi launched a new app, 99Food, integrating it with its local ride-hailing and digital payment services. By May 12, Meituan revealed plans to invest USD1 billion over five years to support Keeta’s growth and expansion in Brazil.

The aggressive entry of these Chinese companies has intensified competition, prompting established players like iFood to announce a BRL17 billion (USD3.1 billion) investment through March 2026 in response to rising international rivals such as Keeta, 99Food, and Rappi.