Serve Robotics, an autonomous sidewalk delivery robot company, has closed a $13 million expanded seed funding round.
The companies participating were strategic investors Uber Technologies; Delivery Hero backed DX Ventures; 7-Eleven’s corporate venture arm, 7-Ventures; and Wavemaker Partners’ food automation focused venture studio Wavemaker Labs.
The new round extends Serve’s previous seed funding and includes participation by existing seed investors Neo, Western Technology Investment, and Scott Banister among others.
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 shaping the future of sustainable, self-driving delivery. Founded in 2017 as the robotics division of Postmates, Serve is now an independent company on a mission to make delivery more affordable, sustainable and accessible for everyone. The company’s self-driving robots have completed tens of thousands of contactless deliveries in major US cities.
Dr Ali Kashani, co-founder and CEO of Serve Robotics, says: “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.
“This initial round of financial and strategic support will allow us to continue advancing our technology, growing our team, and expanding our partnership platform.”
Sarfraz Maredia, vice president and head of Uber Eats in North America, says: “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.”
Brendon Blacker, partner at DX Ventures, says: “Serve Robotics has brought self-driving delivery to major U.S. cities and is leading the field of robotics with its cutting-edge autonomous technology.
“This game-changing technology has the potential to reshape the future of delivery and we are investing in Ali’s vision and the world-class team he has assembled.”
Raghu Mahadevan, 7-Eleven SVP and chief digital officer, says: “Our vision at 7-Eleven is to be the first choice for convenience – anytime, anywhere. We are redefining convenience by delivering innovative shopping solutions to our customers.
“This collaboration will allow us to continue our 94-year legacy of innovation and expand our last mile delivery capabilities to make 7NOW more affordable, sustainable and accessible for everyone.”
Buck Jordan, founder and CEO at Wavemaker Labs, says: “Serve Robotics has built a highly advanced, self-driving delivery robot that delivers safely and reliably for merchants.
“We look forward to using autonomous delivery to elevate the customer experience and improve the unit economics of our food automation brands.”
This new capital, combined with Serve’s recent success in major US markets, further establishes Serve Robotics’ position as the leader in autonomous sidewalk delivery and is a milestone on the company’s path to national and global scale.
