Serve Robotics Acquires Healthcare Robot Startup

Serve Robotics, a company backed by notable investors and known for its sidewalk delivery robots, has officially acquired Diligent Robotics. The deal, valued at $29 million, signifies Serve's strategic expansion into the healthcare industry.

Diligent Robotics, founded in 2017, specializes in creating robots named Moxi. These robots are designed to support healthcare professionals by performing various tasks within hospitals, such as delivering medical supplies and laboratory samples. Prior to the acquisition, Diligent Robotics had secured over $75 million in venture capital, including a $25 million round in 2023.

This acquisition represents a significant diversification for Serve Robotics, moving beyond its origins in food delivery. Serve Robotics was initially incubated within Postmates and later spun off in 2021 after Uber's acquisition of Postmates. Serve's co-founder and CEO, Ali Kashani, views this as a natural progression, aligning with the company's broader mission of developing robots that can navigate safely alongside people in various environments.

Kashani emphasized that this is not a pivot but an opportunistic expansion, driven by the alignment of the companies' missions and teams. Diligent Robotics is expected to operate with a degree of independence within Serve, gaining access to Serve's advanced software and tools to facilitate scaling. Both companies will collaborate on technology, leveraging Serve's experience with its large fleet of autonomous sidewalk robots, which are described as fueling all its current and future applications.