Robomart Launches Autonomous Delivery Robots with $3 Flat Fee to Challenge DoorDash and Uber Eats

Robomart, a Los Angeles-based startup developing self-driving delivery robots, has unveiled its latest model, the Robomart RM5, as part of a broader push to make on-demand delivery profitable through automation. The company announced the new robot on Monday, highlighting its potential to disrupt the crowded delivery market dominated by players like DoorDash and Uber Eats. The RM5 is a level-four autonomous vehicle capable of carrying up to 500 pounds across 10 individual lockers, each designed to hold separate customer orders. This modular design enables batch deliveries, allowing a single robot to fulfill multiple orders simultaneously—boosting efficiency and reducing per-delivery costs. Ali Ahmed, Robomart’s co-founder and CEO, said the company is launching its own autonomous marketplace, where retailers can partner with Robomart to open storefronts on its app. This model mirrors platforms like UberEats and DoorDash but with a key difference: a flat $3 delivery fee for every order, with no additional charges, tips, or hidden fees. “We see this as building our own autonomous marketplace,” Ahmed said. “That is something that is pretty unique in this space—an autonomous marketplace for on-demand delivery using self-driving robots.” Robomart plans to begin onboarding retailers in its first market, Austin, Texas, in the coming months, with a full launch of the delivery service later this year. The company began in 2017 with a different vision: autonomous “store on wheels.” In 2020, it launched pilot programs bringing mobile, self-driving stores stocked with items like pharmacy products and ice cream directly to customers. While that model was innovative, Ahmed said the pivot to on-demand delivery was a natural evolution. He emphasized that the goal of tackling delivery automation was always part of Robomart’s long-term plan. Before founding Robomart, Ahmed launched Dispatch Messenger, an on-demand delivery platform in the U.K., in 2015. That venture struggled to achieve profitability due to high labor costs tied to human drivers. That experience drove Ahmed to focus on automation as the only sustainable path forward. “Our robots bring the cost of a delivery down by up to 70%,” Ahmed said. “If you’re paying a driver $18 an hour, your cost just for that driver is $9 to $10 an hour. With robots, we eliminate that variable.” Despite operating with minimal funding—less than $5 million from investors including Hustle Fund, SOSV, and Wasabi Ventures—Robomart has developed five generations of robots and now stands at the threshold of deploying its first autonomous delivery marketplace. Ahmed believes the $3 flat fee model will appeal strongly to both consumers and retailers. “They don’t even realize they’re paying that markup and the other fees and the tips,” he said. “This makes our model very attractive.” While the on-demand delivery space is fiercely competitive, Robomart’s combination of automation, cost efficiency, and transparent pricing could position it as a compelling alternative for customers and partners alike.