In a move set to transform the constantly-evolving food delivery industry, Uber Eats and Serve Robotics have officially announced their plans to introduce robot food delivery services in major cities across the United States starting in 2026. This joint venture aims to revolutionize the way meals are delivered to customers, providing an automated, seamless and efficient experience.

The robots can go 40 kilometres on a single charge

Serve Robotics, an independent company that broke off from Uber’s business, has developed a four-wheeled robot powered by advanced AI technology for precise path planning. With a remarkable battery life of approximately 40 kilometres, these robots can transport packages weighing up to 23 kilograms, effectively catering to a wide range of delivery needs. Each robot is capable of managing multiple orders daily, ensuring swift and reliable service.

Uber has pledged its commitment to achieving a zero-carbon emission delivery platform by 2040, and the integration of robot deliveries plays a pivotal role in this mission. As part of the service, Uber Eats customers will soon have the option to choose robot delivery for their meals. Once the robot reaches the specified destination, the customer can securely retrieve their order by entering a password, ensuring a seamless and safe experience.

Field testing of robot food delivery services has already commenced in California, marking a significant milestone in the journey toward a fully automated delivery system. Building on this success, Uber plans to expand its partnership with Serve Robotics to include additional cities in 2026. San Jose, California, Dallas, Texas, and Vancouver, Canada are among the locations expected to witness the deployment of up to 2,000 delivery robots.

While the introduction of robot food delivery services holds great promise, there are several potential challenges that these robots may face in urban environments. One significant issue is navigating complex city streets and crowded sidewalks. The robots need to safely maneuver through various obstacles such as pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles, while adhering to traffic rules. Additionally, they must accurately identify and reach specific delivery locations, which can be challenging in densely populated areas with high-rise buildings and intricate addresses. Moreover, there is the concern of potential theft or vandalism of the robots and their cargo, which may require robust security measures.

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India’s one of the leading food delivery platform Zomato has today announced the acquisition of UberEats’ business in India in an all-stock deal. While the company has not revealed the value of this transaction, report indicates that acquisition of Uber’s food delivery business is at around $350 million.

As a part of this deal, Uber will now get around 9.9 percent stake in Zomato. Also, UberEats, which operates in 41 cities, will now redirect its customers to Zomato. The deal comes days after Zomato raised $150 million funding from existing investor Ant Financial, valuing the company at $3 billion.

While delivery partners associated with UberEats India will on-board Zomato’s fleet, around 245 employees of UberEats will be affected by this deal as they will not be absorbed by Zomato as part of the transaction. However, it is being said that Uber is trying to find ways to absorb them within its business.

With Uber Eats, Zomato will now collectively have a 55 percent share of the food delivery market in India and compete largely with homegrown Swiggy. Zomato currently delivers to over 550 cities across the nation.

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The move to sell UberEats India, which had been in works since months, is aimed at cutting losses at the ride hailing company’s food delivery business that has been a drag on the company’s earnings.

UberEats entered the Indian market in 2017 and scaled business to 41 cities with over 65,000 riders who deliver food from 26,000 restaurant partners. The company, which was once seen as a major competitor to Zomato and Swiggy, started struggling in India’s hyper-competitive market.

With the sale of the food business in India, Uber can now focus on the rides business and driving it towards profitability. Besides cutting losses in India, Uber is now taking a stake in a startup that was valued at $3 billion earlier this month.

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