Uber has fully exited its position in Serve Robotics, the autonomous delivery robot company that originated within Postmates before becoming a standalone business. This change was revealed through a recent regulatory filing, officially bringing to a close a partnership that dates back over five years to Serve’s inception.
This divestment reflects the ongoing evolution of Uber’s stance toward autonomous vehicle development, prompting Serve Robotics to navigate the market without backing from its high-profile early investor.
Serve Robotics Surprised by Complete Stake Sale
According to reports, Serve Robotics only became aware of Uber’s total divestment after it was confirmed publicly. Requests for comment from Uber about the reasons behind the decision or the future of its interest in automated delivery efforts have so far gone unanswered.
The roots of Serve Robotics trace back to its creation as Postmates X, the robotics arm of the food delivery company Postmates, which Uber bought in a $2.65 billion transaction in 2020. The following year, in 2021, Postmates X spun out to become Serve Robotics, carrying forward the sidewalk robot technology first pioneered at Postmates and entering the autonomous delivery sector independently.
Uber not only continued financial involvement with the newly formed startup but also initiated a collaboration in 2022, making Serve’s robots available on the Uber Eats app. By May 2023, this collaboration was broadened to include the planned rollout of up to 2,000 Serve sidewalk robots on Uber Eats in cities across the U.S.
Slower Usage Reveals Different Directions
The partnership began to lose momentum in recent months. During a second-quarter earnings call on August 6, Serve Robotics’ co-founder and CEO Ali Kashani shared that delivery volumes with Uber had grown for 17 consecutive quarters—from early 2022 through the start of this year. Yet, for the first time in the second quarter, robot deliveries decreased due to reduced utilization rates.
Kashani noted that Serve and Uber increasingly disagreed on issues like scaling the autonomous fleet and integrating with merchants, resulting in “differing views” about future strategies. Meanwhile, Serve saw a 50% quarter-over-quarter increase in deliveries with another food delivery partner during the same timeframe.
Given these shifts, Kashani commented that Serve Robotics is not expected to extend its partnership with Uber once the current agreement ends in early 2027.
Uber Recalibrates Autonomous Vehicle Involvement
This parting fits into a wider trend of Uber revisiting its autonomous vehicle collaborations. The company has participated in or backed over 30 companies in the autonomous vehicle field in recent years as it refines its approach to both mobility and delivery.
Filings indicate Uber had already begun to decrease its investment in Serve before the full exit, with reductions starting in 2025, and the divestiture now completed. The move underscores the increasingly divergent operational strategies and priorities between Uber and Serve Robotics as they pursue their individual paths.
For Serve Robotics, the focus now shifts to expanding partnerships elsewhere and building momentum beyond its historic association with Uber, as it charts a new course in the rapidly changing autonomous delivery landscape.