Dive Brief:

• Rapid delivery firm Jokr has a new mobile app that offers shoppers a personalized experience with automated content curation, the company announced on Monday.
• Using Jokr's proprietary artificial intelligence-driven platform, the app gives each customer customized product recommendations based on past shopping behaviors and also spotlights local items. "Customers will also be provided with a more seamless, personalized shopping experience through a feed of recipes and engaging content," Jokr said in the press release. 
• With the new app, Jokr is looking to stand out from its competitors as the remaining companies in the ultrafast delivery space in the U.S. vie for market share and funding. 

Dive Insight:

Jokr aims to drive product relevancy and engage more deeply with its shoppers through its automated content creation.

The startup, which launched last year, said it's leveraging its "vast amount of data on consumer behavior and preferences" from its presence in 15 cities across six countries to help power the personalized shopping experience.

A visit to the company's app on Tuesday morning revealed bundles like the "Instant Breakfast Bundle" with a pain au chocolat, cold brew, yogurt and mango chunks and a "Blueberry Smoothie" with frozen blueberries, vanilla almond milk, ground cinnamon, organic bananas, chia seeds and baby spinach. 

The app also had sections spotlighting "Jokr Team Favorites," bestselling items and steeply discounted products ranging from 33% to 75% off. 

Among its categories, Jokr has a ready-made meals section with items like a Korean BBQ beef bowl, Greek orzo pasta salad and Mexican burrito bowl from "Jokr Kitchn."

While seemingly counterintuitive to its focus on smaller baskets driven by impulse purchases, Jokr is also encouraging shoppers to buy in bulk and save money on larger packs of items like tissues, La Croix and snacks. 

Jokr's focus on curated shopping leans into growing efforts by grocers to embrace personalization, leveraging customer data to anticipate their needs.

The company is also looking to localization as a key area of differentiation. Aspa Lekka, the company's founder and chief operating officer, said at a virtual event late last year that Jokr wants to cut out distributors and work directly with local brands in order to "democratize" the supply chain.

Competitor Gopuff has also leaned into local brands, noting they not only appeal to shoppers but boost the company's ads business, as well. 

As Jokr looks to personalization to draw in customers, funding, ultimately, is key to the survival of rapid delivery companies that are burning through cash. The app announcement follows Jokr raising $260 million in Series B funding at the end of last year, just a few months after its $170 million in Series A  in the summer. 

Competitor Getir announced its $768 million Series E round earlier this month. Meanwhile, Buyk and Fridge No More closed recently due to financing woes.