Latest news with #ZachRash
Los Angeles Times
10-04-2025
- Automotive
- Los Angeles Times
DoorDash rolls out food delivery robots in Los Angeles
A robot on wheels could serve up your next meal thanks to a partnership between DoorDash and Coco Robotics that's bringing food delivery robots to Los Angeles sidewalks. The food delivery service DoorDash announced Thursday that eligible customers in Los Angeles and Chicago can order food through their app to be delivered by a small, box-shaped robot with zero emissions. Coco Robotics and similar companies such as Serve Robotics and Starship Technologies have been operating food delivery robots in Los Angeles and other cities for several years. DoorDash's international arm Wolt began a partnership with Coco in Helsinki, Finland this year. 'We're excited to expand our partnership with DoorDash, combining Coco's AI robocourier platform with DoorDash's national scale and reach,' Coco Chief Executive Zach Rash said in a statement. 'This collaboration marks an important step forward in reshaping urban delivery in the U.S.' Coco has a fleet of more than 1,000 delivery robots that are remotely controlled by human operators. The company is headquartered in Santa Monica and was founded in 2020 by two UCLA graduates. Despite the challenges of navigating busy city sidewalks and crosswalks already shared by pedestrians, Coco robots have completed more than 400,000 deliveries and partnered with hundreds of restaurants. Using delivery robots instead of human drivers can save restaurants up to 50% in profits, according to Coco's website. Frustrated or skeptical passersby have kicked the bots or intentionally obstructed their path, while the cities of New York and San Francisco have banned them, on and off, because of congestion concerns. Some opponents say the bots take jobs from human workers and contribute to chaotic urban traffic. DoorDash Labs, the company's robotics and automation arm involved in the Coco partnership, announced a collaboration last year with a drone delivery service called Wing. Wing drones began delivering food in Christiansburg, Va., in March 2024 after launching a pilot program in Australia in 2022. 'Not every delivery needs a two-ton car just to deliver two chicken sandwiches,' Harrison Shih, senior director of DoorDash Labs, said in a statement. 'We believe the future of delivery will be multi-modal, and we're thrilled to partner with Coco to expand sidewalk robot deliveries that complement the Dasher network.' Coco robots will partner with nearly 600 merchants in Los Angeles through the DoorDash app. The robots' median delivery distance is one mile, according to a company spokesperson.
Associated Press
02-04-2025
- Automotive
- Associated Press
Coco Robotics Expands Uber Eats Partnership to Miami
Expansion highlights joint commitment to providing sustainable, efficient last-mile delivery solutions nationwide MIAMI, April 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Coco Robotics, the world's leading food delivery robotics company, announced today that it's launching operations in Miami, starting with delivery partner Uber Eats (NYSE: UBER). This announcement marks Coco's entry into the Southeast market. The service will initially launch in the Wynwood neighborhood and Downtown Miami, with plans to expand to Brickell and Miami Beach in the coming months, as well as other areas throughout 2025. Through the Uber Eats partnership, customers will be able to receive their orders via Coco's emissions-free robots. This builds on Coco's existing partnership with Uber Eats in Los Angeles, where Coco Robotics has already completed over half a million deliveries since it began operations. 'Our expansion launch with Uber Eats marks a milestone in our mission to create a more sustainable and efficient delivery ecosystem,' said Zach Rash, co-founder and CEO of Coco Robotics. 'Miami's vibrant food and tech scene make it the perfect market for robotic delivery.' When customers order through Uber Eats, from participating merchants in serviceable areas, they may have their orders fulfilled by Coco's autonomous delivery robots. Customers who receive deliveries via Coco robots will have their tips refunded. 'Autonomous delivery is a key part of our vision for the future of delivery,' said Megan Jensen, Head of Autonomous Delivery Operations at Uber. 'Coco's proven track record and their focus on creating great customer experiences makes them an ideal partner as we expand and continue to popularize robot delivery.' About Coco Robotics Coco Robotics is the world's largest urban robot delivery platform. Founded in 2020, Coco has completed over 500,000 zero-emission deliveries, serving customers in the US and Europe. Coco's mission is to create a more sustainable, reliable, and affordable last-mile logistics solution in cities around the world. For more information about Coco, visit Uber's mission is to create opportunity through movement. We started in 2010 to solve a simple problem: how do you get access to a ride at the touch of a button? More than 58 billion trips later, we're building products to get people closer to where they want to be. By changing how people, food, and things move through cities, Uber is a platform that opens up the world to new possibilities.
