Deliveroo regulars might find their lunch arriving via an unusual new courier. Deliveroo has signed an exclusive deal with Coco Robotics to bring pavement delivery robots to the UK, with the first bots rolling out in London's Canary Wharf as soon as this month.
The exclusive partnership, announced on 5 October, marks the first time Deliveroo has used autonomous vehicles in the UK, as well as the LA-based robotics firm's first move into the country. The Sam Altman-backed Coco Robotics already has a partnership in place with DoorDash in the US, which acquired Deliveroo in a £2.9bn transaction last year, and operates autonomous delivery vehicles in cities such as Los Angeles, San Jose, Chicago, Miami and Helsinki.
'London is where Deliveroo was born, so it feels fitting that we're launching our first UK autonomous delivery service with Coco Robotics here before expanding our exclusive partnership to more towns and cities nationwide, building on our partnership in other geographies.'
- Miki Kuusi, CEO at Deliveroo and Head of DoorDash International
How do the delivery robots work?
Coco's electric robots move no faster than a stroll, finding their way with a combination of AI, onboard cameras and sensors. Deliveroo is pitching them as the greener option, with no tailpipe emissions and fewer vehicles clogging up city streets.
So, who's first in line to meet these new couriers? Canary Wharf locals will be the first in the UK to see them, with robots arriving as soon as this month to deliver food from the likes of Patty&Bun, family-run bakery Signorelli and cafe-restaurant Beam. Sites such as Ole & Steen, Royal China and Din Tai Fung are lined up to follow.
Milton Keynes, Leeds, Stockton-on-Tees and Nottingham come next, over the coming weeks and months.
Is this the end of delivery riders?
Don't expect riders to vanish just yet, though. Deliveroo hasn't said how many robots it will deploy or what share of orders they'll handle, and most deliveries will still be made by human couriers. Coco says the launch is backed by investment in UK depots and charging facilities, plus new jobs in operations and maintenance.
Read more: Check out our guide to London's hottest new restaurants, updated every month with brand new picks via our in-house critics.
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