COCO ROBOTICS AND DELIVEROO ANNOUNCE EXCLUSIVE PARTNERSHIP TO SCALE ROBOT DELIVERIES ACROSS THE UK
Coco Robotics will launch in multiple locations, beginning with Canary Wharf in London this October, before launching in Milton Keynes, Leeds, Stockton on Tees and Nottingham in the coming weeks and months.
The launches have been welcomed by local authorities across the UK in a positive sign of support for the innovative new service and job creation the partnership will bring. Coco is also in discussions with other councils across both London and the UK.
Consumers will initially be able to order from the likes of Patty&Bun, independent family-run brands like bakery Signorelli and cafe and restaurant Beam, in Wood Wharf, Canary Wharf, before the service area expands to include a wider pool of merchants at a later stage, including Ole & Steen, Royal China and Din Tai Fung. In Milton Keynes, consumers will be able to order from Smoke and Pepper amongst others when the service rolls out.
The multi-city rollout marks Coco's entry into the UK, extending the company's broader expansion across Europe. The launch will be backed by local investment in UK operational infrastructure, creating new skilled jobs in operations, maintenance and logistics across each region, supported by new depot and charging facilities.
The partnership represents a significant milestone in Deliveroo's autonomous delivery journey, marking its first use of autonomous delivery vehicles in the UK. The move reflects the company's strategy to develop a multi-modal last-mile delivery approach by scaling new delivery methods for consumers and merchants, building on learnings from other geographies.
While the majority of orders will continue to be fulfilled by Deliveroo's extensive rider network, Coco's fully electric robots are suited to short-distances and navigating urban environments, offering additional flexibility to local businesses on Deliveroo's platform to fulfill more orders.
Built to travel safely and navigate busy urban environments, Coco's robots operate at walking pace, moving safely along sidewalks while carrying orders directly to customers. Each delivery is zero-emission and reduces urban congestion.
Through its partnership with BlindSquare, Coco will also share real-time data on sidewalk hazards identified by its robots, so that the company can update its app to help alert blind and partially sighted pedestrians to obstacles ahead.
Zach Rash, CEO and co-founder of Coco Robotics: "We're thrilled to be bringing Coco to the UK with Deliveroo as our launch partner, building on our existing partnership with DoorDash. The interest here has been incredible, and we're committed to building something that creates lasting value for local merchants and the communities they serve. As we expand further across the UK, we look forward to giving more businesses another reliable delivery option and more communities access to the kind of infrastructure that makes delivery work better for everyone."
Miki Kuusi, CEO at Deliveroo and Head of DoorDash International: "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."
"We see huge potential in autonomous delivery and we are looking forward to working with Coco to bring more flexibility to our delivery network, helping local restaurants and shops meet increasing consumer demand. We firmly believe that robot and drone technology should benefit High Street businesses of all sizes, helping them remain competitive and meet consumers in new ways."
How Coco robots work
Coco robots operate at a walking pace and use onboard sensors, cameras, and AI-driven navigation to move along sidewalks. The system processes real-time environmental data at the edge, without relying on cloud connectivity, allowing the robot to perceive and respond to its surroundings as conditions change. Each robot is designed to operate within the existing flow of pedestrian and urban traffic rather than requiring dedicated infrastructure.
Deployment in any new location is always phased and aligned with local regulations. Coco's control software enforces location-specific speed limits and routing policies, and supervising operators are trained on local rules and street conditions. The robot is designed to move predictably and yield where appropriate. The objective is to complement urban mobility systems, not interfere with them.
SOURCE Coco Robotics
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