Instacart’s Three-Year Growth High Comes Amid AI Expansion

Instacart closed 2025 with its strongest growth in three years. Gross transaction value rose 14% year over year to $9.85 billion, orders increased 16% to 89.5 million, and adjusted EBITDA grew 20% to $303 million, according to the company’s fourth-quarter earnings release and call. Instacart CEO Chris Rogers told investors the company is guiding to 11%-13% GTV growth in Q1 2026, describing it as the strongest year-over-year guide the company has issued since going public.

AI Is Accelerating the Machine Behind Grocery

Management repeatedly tied that momentum to artificial intelligence. The most concrete claims focused on internal productivity. Rogers said average output per engineer increased nearly 40% over the past year, with 10% of engineers increasing output by 80%. For new projects, he said AI is enabling teams to build production-grade software “more than 4 times faster than before.” He also stated that system reliability improved even as engineering throughput rose.

The most visible external outcome is enterprise expansion. Instacart launched 70 Storefront Pro partners in 2025, up from 30 the prior year. The company now powers more than 380 grocery e-commerce sites. Rogers described enterprise as a “real strategic advantage,” emphasizing deeper technical integrations and joint planning with retailers, citing expanded deployments with Costco and Sprouts, along with international launches in Spain and France.

Enterprise growth influences operating efficiency. Rogers said deeper integrations increase order density and lower cost to serve through shared infrastructure. CFO Emily Reuter stated that adjusted EBITDA is expected to grow faster than GTV in 2026, although the rate of expansion will moderate as the company reinvests. In Q4, GAAP net income was $81 million, down year over year due primarily to a $60 million FTC settlement and other non-recurring expenses.