Deliveroo has partnered with sidewalk delivery fleet operator Coco Robotics to introduce automated delivery services across urban areas in the UK.
The deployment will span several locations including London’s Canary Wharf in October before expanding to Milton Keynes, Leeds, Stockton-on-Tees, and Nottingham over the coming weeks and months.
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During the initial phase in Wood Wharf, Canary Wharf, customers will be able to place automated delivery orders with merchants including Patty&Bun, Signorelli, and dining venue Beam.
Additional brands, such as Ole & Steen, Royal China, and Din Tai Fung, are scheduled to be incorporated into the programme at a later stage.
Upon launching in Milton Keynes, the service will cover merchants such as Smoke and Pepper and 5 Akhis, among others.
Alongside the current rollout plans, Coco is engaged in discussions with additional local councils across London and the wider UK.
The multi-location launch establishes Coco’s commercial footprint in the UK, expanding the company’s broader operational presence across Europe.
The rollout will be accompanied by regional infrastructure investment, including the construction of local depots and dedicated charging facilities, creating employment in operational, maintenance, and logistics functions across the targeted areas.
Coco Robotics co-founder and CEO Zach Rash said: “We’re thrilled to be bringing Coco to the UK with Deliveroo as our launch partner.
“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.”
The agreement also marks Deliveroo’s initial deployment of autonomous delivery vehicles within the UK market.
The initiative forms part of the delivery company’s broader strategy to build a multimodal last-mile network by integrating alternative fulfilment formats for merchants and consumers.
While human couriers will continue to complete the majority of deliveries, Coco’s all-electric units are configured for short-distance routes and urban navigation, providing vendors on the platform with additional order fulfilment capacity.
Deliveroo CEO and DoorDash International head Miki Kuusi said: “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.”
