DoorDash clients in Los Angeles would possibly quickly have their meals dropped at them by one in every of Serve Robotics’ sidewalk supply bots. The 2 corporations on Thursday introduced a multi-year partnership that may see them utilizing autonomous robots to make deliveries throughout the U.S.
The tie-up comes every week after DoorDash unveiled Dot, an autonomous meals supply bot constructed by the corporate that’s first being deployed within the Phoenix space. In contrast to Serve’s bots, which primarily function on sidewalks, Dot can ferry meals and small packages on roads, bike lanes and sidewalks at speeds as much as 20 miles per hour.
Serve is the newest in a string of rising tech partnerships for DoorDash, which has joined palms with corporations like sidewalk bot startup Coco and drone startup Wing. In keeping with Ashu Rege, VP of autonomy at DoorDash Labs, the corporate’s robotics and automation division, it’s all a part of a broader plan to turn into a platform for multimodal deliveries.
DoorDash isn’t the primary app firm to ply such avenues. Uber has been placing partnerships with autonomous automobile corporations throughout its ride-hail, supply and freight companies, and Serve is one of these corporations. Much like how gig staff function, Serve’s bots will work with each Uber and DoorDash concurrently.
However DoorDash is doing one thing completely different right here: it’s throwing its personal hat within the ring.
Different corporations have tried this technique, too. Uber and Lyft each tried and failed to function each the expertise stack and platform for autonomous ride-hailing. And AV startup Nuro began out with a similar vehicle to Dot earlier than it realized that tech-to-carmakers-mobility-companies/”>manufacturing is a capital sinkhole.
All three corporations took the scenic route to comprehend that it’s extra cost-effective to concentrate on their core expertise and choices.
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Rege thinks DoorDash shall be completely different. The corporate plans to fabricate Dot at scale, however Rege declined to offer particular particulars. DoorDash had its first profitable year in 2024, and reported record profits within the first half of 2025, because of a 20% improve in supply volumes in comparison with a yr earlier. He argues that the corporate wants extra methods to make deliveries if it’s going to proceed serving its rising buyer base.
Furthermore, Rege thinks Dot brings one thing to the desk that different kind components don’t. “We felt there was a niche. On the one finish, you’ve sidewalk robots, and alternatively robotaxis, that are nice for shifting folks, however they don’t deal with the supply drawback of that final 10 ft,” he stated. “A burrito just isn’t going to stroll itself to your door. And for retailers, they don’t need to […] go discover this robotic that’s parked half a block away.”
Whereas sidewalk robots may match nicely in dense city environments, Rege stated Dot will fill the hole in “dense suburban deliveries” inside a spread of three to 5 miles. Dot’s means to traverse the roads and sidewalks is “a extremely key half,” he stated.
After all, an individual can do all of this with ease, however DoorDash says it plans to order its human workforce for extra “advanced” restaurant, retail or grocery journeys.
