An on-demand robotic delivery service will be available to Uber Eats customers starting in Los Angeles early next year.

California-based Serve Robotics, an autonomous sidewalk delivery company, has announced the partnership with Uber Technologies’ food delivery and ridesharing platform.

Founded in 2017 as the robotics division of Postmates, Serve aims to make delivery more affordable, sustainable and accessible for everyone. Guided by its proprietary autonomous technology, the company’s self-driving robots have completed tens of thousands of contactless deliveries in major US cities. Spun off as an independent company in February 2021, Serve is backed by Uber, alongside other investors.

“Serve Robotics is looking forward to delivering great convenience for Uber Eats merchants and customers,” said Ali Kashani, co-founder and CEO of Serve Robotics. “Uber is our first commercial partner and will be a strong source of demand for us as we use contactless delivery to power community commerce at scale.”

Sarfraz Maredia, VP and head of Uber Eats in the USA and Canada, added: “We are excited to partner with Serve Robotics to test a new kind of delivery in Los Angeles that’s safe, reliable and environmentally friendly. We’re always looking for ways to better serve merchants and consumers, which is why we’re working with the team at Serve to explore the potential of this technology.”

Serve Robotics designs, develops and operates zero-emissions rovers that serve people in public spaces, starting with food delivery. The company’s self-driving rovers have completed tens of thousands of contactless deliveries in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Uber’s mission is to create opportunity through movement. It started in 2010 to solve a simple problem: how do you get access to a ride at the touch of a button? More than 25 billion trips later, it claims to be changing the way people, food and things move through cities.