Californian food delivery company DoorDash has acquired Chowbotics, the company behind fresh food preparation robot Sally.
The purchase will enable DoorDash to expand its fresh meal offerings as Sally can store up to 22 prepared ingredients for salads, grain bowls and other meals within a refrigerated 3 x 3 unit.
DoorDash said Chowbotics’ robots could allow its restaurant partners to offer more varieties of meals without having to expand their kitchen space.
Furthermore, it said additional merchants such as convenience stores could also use the technology to expand into fresh food.
Chowbotics has built and commercialised a product that provides made-to-order fresh meals at the touch of a button.
It has deployed around 125 of its had sold around 125 of its US$35,000 (£25,500) robots to locations across the USA, Canada and Australia, serving universities, hospitals, and grocery stores.
A DoorDash spokesperson said: “We’re working on solutions to help merchants grow in an ever-challenging and changing landscape, and with Chowbotics we hope to enhance that level of support and empowerment we can provide to restaurants big and small.
“The added expertise of the Chowbotics team allows us to continue to create new ways to bring customers everything in their local neighbourhoods.
“We believe the versatility of the DoorDash platform enables seamless integration and scaling of the Chowbotics offering.”
Chowbotics will continue to operate independently and has no plans to change its name.
