Serve Robotics steps into restaurant kitchens with Vebu acquisition

Serve Robotics, known for its sidewalk delivery robots, is branching out from its mainstay focus on automated delivery solutions and into restaurant kitchens through its acquisition of the 'Autocado' technology seen at burrito chain Chipotle Mexican Grill.

Serve said on Thursday it would acquire Vebu, the company behind the avocado processing robot Autocado, which automates the cutting, coring and scooping of avocados. Chipotle has been testing the robot for several quarters and recently deployed the technology in locations in California.

The move will allow Serve to start working within restaurants and expand its scope in the restaurant sector - which it currently only serves through its sidewalk robots that deliver food for Uber Eats.

San Francisco-based Serve also plans to sign on more partners as it builds on the Autocado technology.

"We will definitely be looking to partner with more customers (restaurants) in the future," CEO Ali Kashani said in an interview, adding that the company was targeting becoming a "one-stop shop" for restaurant automation tech.

Separately, Serve also reported results for the third quarter, with revenues shrinking more than 50 per cent from the prior three-month period due to a sharp decline in software services revenue. That sent the company's shares down 9 per cent in after-hours trading.

Kashani said Serve will more than double the number of restaurants it serves by the end of this year, with its new-generation delivery robot helping it scale quickly from about 300 locations currently to 750.

Serve has an agreement with Uber Eats to deploy 2,000 robots by the end of 2025. On Thursday, Serve said it was ahead of schedule with the initial manufacturing and rollout required to hit the target, reporting a 23 per cent sequential increase in daily active robots in the third quarter.

Serve, which also completed a $32.3 million capital raise in the quarter, did not provide financial details on the Vebu deal. Post acquisition, Serve will integrate Vebu as a new business unit.

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