Autonomous delivery is gaining another foothold in the US as Serve Robotics partners with Grubhub to fulfil food orders using its sidewalk delivery robots. The agreement gives Serve access to a new delivery platform shortly after its long-running partnership with Uber Eats ended.
The San Francisco-based robotics company said the Grubhub partnership will initially launch in Chicago, Los Angeles and Alexandria. Serve is known for its 4-wheeled delivery robots, which have been used to fulfil orders from Uber Eats and DoorDash.
The new agreement comes as Serve prepares to lose its Uber delivery alliance early next year. Uber has exited its stake in Serve, while the robotics company said earlier this month that it does not currently plan to renew the agreement when it expires. Serve cited declining order volumes and “differing views” behind the decision.
“We certainly see the lost volume from Uber more than replaced over time (through the Grubhub partnership and other initiatives). We believe this is a path where we will grow faster, that’s the entire reason for this,” Serve CEO Ali Kashani told Reuters.
Serve has also expanded its DoorDash operations to San Jose, California and Washington, D.C. These additions bring the company’s presence to its 7th and 8th major US markets.
The company is also introducing “micro depots” in Miami. These smaller facilities are designed to support robot stationing, charging, dispatch and maintenance without requiring the infrastructure of a full-scale facility.
According to Kashani, the micro depots can be installed quickly and require minimal infrastructure, helping Serve enter new markets faster while reducing costs and development timelines.
Grubhub’s parent company Wonder is also increasing its focus on automation as food delivery companies explore robots and other technologies to reduce labour costs. In June, Wonder announced plans to begin drone deliveries in Texas from January.
Serve is also expanding beyond food delivery. The company has started rolling out the next generation of its Moxi hospital robots following its acquisition of physical AI company Diligent Robotics earlier this year.
The move is aimed at entering the healthcare automation market and creating additional revenue streams.
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