Kernel Backs Away from Robots while Aescape & DiDi Double Down
Just Eat Takeaway takes off with Manna, robot leaders head to Curbivore
This week we’ve got big robotic news from the likes of Kernel, Manna, Aescape and more. But there are even bigger automation leaders headed to Curbivore 2025: April 10-11 in Downtown LA. We’ve just announced a sneak peek of this year’s speakers, including DoorDash Co-Founder Stanley Tang, Sweetgreen’s SVP of Innovation Tim Noonan, Serve Robotics’ Co-Founder MJ Chun, Coco Robotic’s CEO Zach Rash and many more.
PARTNER | Autonomous Vehicles Are About to Transform Rideshare – Here’s What You Need to Know
Autonomous vehicle firms like Waymo, Zoox, and Cybercab are set to reshape ride-hailing and on-demand delivery. But how will these firms tackle key challenges like market selection, optimizing fleet deployment, and balancing pricing strategies to maximize demand and profitability?
Together with S&P Global Mobility, Gridwise Analytics has compiled a must-read report detailing the key insights every mobility leader needs to know.
Key Findings:
Autonomous ride-hailing trips are growing fast, but AV pricing must hit $1 per mile to scale.
Fleet efficiency is a major challenge—AV fleets need to average 12-15% dead miles, but even the best ride-hail fleets operate at 20-22%.
Demand and pricing vary dramatically between and within cities, making fleet optimization complex.
Pooled rides are making a comeback, now at 1.7% of total rides (Sept 2024)—but still far from the 12-19% pre-pandemic levels.
Get the full report now to understand where AVs are headed.
Kernel Rebrands, Hides Robots
After much fanfare about its automation ambitions, the formerly vegan restaurant known as Kernel is shoving the bots to the backroom and undergoing a rebrand. The Steve Ells-helmed mini-chain is now going by the name Counter Service, with a menu very much focused on that ol’ lunchtime standby: a rapidly prepared sandwich. COO Tom Cortese tells Expedite that they’ve “moved the robots to the side,” after finding issues with consumer acceptance as well as more prosaic real estate issues like subfloors shifting under the weight of the six-axis arm.
Just Eat Takeaway.com Launches Drone Delivery with Manna
European 3PD Just Eat Takeaway.com is taking to the skies, thanks to a new partnership with Dublin, Ireland-based Manna. The service is now live in the Irish capital, with an expansion to more markets in the works. Manna, which has already completed 165,000 deliveries, aims to deliver drone-loads of food in as little as three minutes.
Didi’s Self-Driver Seeks $5 Billion
Chinese tech heavyweight Didi Global is seeking fresh funding for its autonomous driving subsidiary, aiming to value the business at around $5 billion USD. DiDi currently operates 200+ vehicles in Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai, while the parent company also has a freight and delivery arm. The AV operator has previously raised $1.55 billion, and the $5 billion valuation would put it squarely in line with competitors like WeRide and Pony AI.
Aescape Raises $83 Million
Robots are making moves into the other side of hospitality: hoteling and spa care! NYC-based Aescape just raised $83 million in a new funding round led by Valor Equity Partners, with participation from Alumni Ventures and NBA All-Star Kevin Love. Aescape looks to deploy its robotic masseuses to businesses tight on space and where customers are in a time crunch — think gyms and hotels — with a suggested price of $60 per session.
In Other News
Kardex deploys AutoStore at Berkshire Grey. Waymo goes live in Austin, exclusively on Uber app. Japan’s service robots sector expected to triple in three years. The rise of humanoids. Boston Dynamics’ Atlas gets to work on auto part picking. Amazon hits 750,000 robots. Cracking open Sweetgreen’s annual report.