Deliveroo has acquired Edinburgh-based software design company, Cultivate, as the firm looks to further establish its presence in Scotland.

Cultivate, which formed in September 2014 following separation from product development studio Neo, has worked closely with Deliveroo in recent years – helping to build the food delivery giant’s payment systems.

Both companies said they will continue to work on improving payments systems used by couriers and partner restaurants, as well as offering additional services in cashflow management.

The acquisition marks the opening of Deliveroo’s first tech office in the UK outside of London. Up to 50 tech-focused roles will be created at its new Scottish base within the next three years, the company confirmed, which will be made up of engineers, data scientists and product managers.

• Funding boost creates jobs at Glasgow quantum tech firm
• Edinburgh accessibility app developer Neatebox raises £300,000

Cultivate’s chief commercial officer, Andy Robinson, will become Deliveroo’s site lead in Edinburgh following the takeover. Commenting on the acquisition, Robinson said: “We have a fantastic relationship with Deliveroo, supporting them through an amazing period of growth. We were attracted by the array of interesting problems being tackled by their team, and how they are addressing them using modern and emerging technology.

“We are proud to have built such a great team here in Edinburgh, and today’s announcement is a testament to their hard work and expertise in building world-class software. We are excited to continue this work, create highly skilled jobs, and build a centre of tech excellence here in Edinburgh.”

Dan Winn, VP of engineering at Deliveroo, added: “As a British company, Deliveroo is proud to be investing in Edinburgh and creating more high-skilled jobs in the UK. Edinburgh is one of the UK’s fastest-growing tech hubs, with access to an excellent talent pool of highly-skilled people and university graduates.

“Deliveroo is committed to offering riders flexible, well-paid work and helping restaurants to grow their business. Building on Cultivate’s expertise, we are excited to create new products and services that will help us achieve this.”