Sina Technology News, Beijing time on the evening of March 2, it is reported that Instacart, an American grocery distribution service, has received an investment of US $265 million in a new round of financing, valuing the company at US $39 billion.

This means that the valuation of Instacart has doubled for the second time since COVID-19 's outbreak. Less than five months ago, Instacart raised $200m, valuing the company at $17.7 billion. That's double the $7.9 billion valuation in 2018.

After a new round of financing, Instacart is the second-largest unicorn in the US, after SpaceX, a space start-up owned by SpaceX, which is valued at $74 billion.

During the epidemic, the demand for express delivery of groceries increased sharply. "the past year has ushered in a new normal, changing the way people buy groceries and goods," Instacart CFO Nick Giovanni said in a statement today.

Currently, Instacart is preparing for the much-anticipated IPO (initial public offering). In the past few months, Instacart has expanded its executive team and board of directors. According to reports,Goldman Sachs GroupWill lead the IPO.

Instacart's latest round of financing was led by existing venture capital investors such as Anderson Horowitz, Sequoia Capital and D1 Capital Partners, as well as existing institutional investors such as Fidelity and T.Rowe Price.