The News

• Tortoise is pivoting away from its last-mile delivery roots to focus using its teleoperated robots for mobile commerce.

• The compay has signed up 18 retailers who will use Tortoise robots as mini-mobile stores. Tortoise will provide the robot for free and take a cut of revenues.

• Customers can pay for items simply with tap-to-pay, there is no app to download or site to register with.

The Story

The first subject line of the first OttOmate newsletter almost six months ago read: “Why Tortoise Might Speed Ahead in Robot Delivery.”

Welp.

Looks like I was wrong. Tortoise won’t finish last in robot delivery, it’s just finished with last-mile delivery. The company announced at the Curbivore show in Los Angeles today that it is pivoting to mobile commerce. And while I may have been wrong about Tortoise’s future, this seems like a smart move for the company.