Kiwibot secures $10M to grow a fleet of autonomous delivery robots. It will scale its fleet of last-mile delivery robots after entering a $10M financing partnership with Kineo Finance, an asset financing group headquartered in Switzerland.
The Miami Startup, which currently has 540 robots, aims to manufacture thousands more over the next 18 months, said founder and CEO Felipe Chavez.
“The deal allows us to be focused on the operational side of the business, and gives us the leverage to keep enlarging our footprint without needing dilutive capital,” Chavez said.
Founded in 2017, Kiwibot’s autonomously delivers restaurant meals at 28 campuses across the U.S. The robots use GPS technology, camera sensors and artificial intelligence to generate optimal routes and avoid obstacles on its paths. “If the zone is safe for pedestrians, our robots would roll around effectively,” Chavez added.
Kiwibot reports its delivery service, already available in apps like Grubhub and Sodexo’s. Everyday, can reduce delivery costs by as much as 65% for customers. It’s also a more environmentally friendly option than receiving deliveries from gas-powered vehicles. Kiwibot’s small electronic robots have carried out 200,000 zero-emission deliveries avoiding more than 53,000 miles of car trip and unnecessary traffic congestion.
Expanding into residential zones is a focus for Kiwibot moving forward. The startup could also enter international markets.
If you haven’t seen an autonomous delivery robot yet, you probably will soon.