Autonomous pavement delivery robot manufacturer Serve Robotics has secured US£13m (£9.8m) in an expanded seed funding round, which featured strategic investor Uber.
The company designs, develops and operates zero-emissions rovers that aim to serve people in public spaces, starting with food delivery. Founded in 2017 as the robotics division of Postmates, Serve operates contactless deliveries in Los Angeles and San Francisco.
The capital will be used to accelerate the company’s path to commercial scale, driving its fleet expansion, geographic growth, and continued product development.
“Serve Robotics is pleased to have the backing of strong strategic partners able to support our intention to provide sustainable, self-driving delivery at scale,” said Ali Kashani, co-founder and CEO of Serve Robotics.
“This initial round of financial and strategic support will allow us to continue advancing our technology, growing our team, and expanding our partnership platform.”
In February 2021, Serve spun off as an independent company. As well as being backed by Uber it also has support from investors including 7-Eleven and Wavemaker Labs.
Sarfraz Maredia, vice president and head of Uber Eats in North America, said: “Uber and Serve share a commitment to convenience and reliability. As a Serve investor, we’re excited to help shape self-driving delivery technology that can meet changing consumer and merchant needs.”
