Altman-Backed Coco Robotics Raises $80 Million for Delivery Bots
Coco Robotics, an urban delivery startup using small autonomous robots, has secured $80 million in new funding from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and other investors, Bloomberg reported Wednesday.
The financing round was led by venture capital firm SNR, with participation from Pelion Venture Partners, Offline Ventures, and Max Altman, Sam's brother. The latest investment brings Coco's total raised capital to over $110 million. The company did not disclose a new valuation.
Warning! GuruFocus has detected 7 Warning Sign with DASH.
Founded in 2020 and formally known as Cyan Robotics Inc., the Santa Monica-based startup deploys about 1,300 cooler-sized electric robots across cities including Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles and Helsinki. The devices deliver food and small packages and are integrated into logistics platforms from Uber Technologies Inc. (UBER) and DoorDash Inc. (DASH, Financials).
Coco also works directly with merchants and recently deepened its partnership with OpenAI. Under a March agreement, the company uses OpenAI's language and vision models alongside its own software stack to help its robots navigate obstacles and make real-time decisions. The two firms also share data from delivery routes to train AI systems. However, CEO Zach Rash said Sam Altman was not involved in structuring that collaboration.
Coco is one of several startups racing to bring robotics to last-mile delivery logistics, a segment where cost-cutting and speed remain key challenges. Despite the sector's volatility, investors are betting that Coco's full-stack software and early commercial traction can differentiate it in a growing market.
This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
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