Serve Robotics Expands into Healthcare with Acquisition of Diligent Robotics
Serve Robotics, renowned for its autonomous sidewalk delivery robots, has announced its strategic acquisition of Diligent Robotics, a company specializing in hospital assistant robots. This move signifies Serve Robotics’ expansion beyond its traditional food delivery services into the healthcare sector.
Diligent Robotics, established in 2017 by Andrea Thomaz and Vivian Chu, developed Moxi, a robot designed to assist hospital staff by performing tasks such as delivering lab samples and supplies. Over the years, Diligent Robotics secured over $75 million in venture capital, including a $25 million funding round in 2023.
The acquisition, valuing Diligent’s common stock at $29 million, aligns with Serve Robotics’ mission to enhance last-mile delivery solutions. Ali Kashani, co-founder and CEO of Serve Robotics, emphasized that integrating Moxi’s capabilities fits seamlessly into their vision of autonomous robots operating alongside humans. He stated, Robots that are moving among people is the broader opportunity for us. Once you solve the problem, which is how to get robots to seamlessly move among people as autonomous machines, then you can bring it to a lot of other environments.
Serve Robotics originated as a project within Postmates in 2017 and continued its development after Uber’s acquisition of Postmates. The company became independent in 2021 and went public in April 2024 through a reverse merger. In 2025, Serve expanded its fleet from 100 to over 2,000 robots and partnered with DoorDash to facilitate deliveries in Los Angeles.
The integration of Diligent Robotics into Serve’s operations is expected to be smooth, with Diligent maintaining relative independence while leveraging Serve’s software and tools to scale its services. Kashani highlighted the synergy between the two companies, noting their shared commitment to real-world applications over laboratory development.
This acquisition reflects a broader trend in the robotics industry, where companies are diversifying their applications. For instance, Mobileye recently acquired Mentee Robotics to venture into humanoid robots, and Sarcos acquired RE2 to enhance its robotic systems.
By incorporating Diligent Robotics, Serve Robotics is poised to make significant contributions to the healthcare sector, addressing challenges such as staff shortages and the need for efficient hospital operations. This strategic move underscores the growing role of robotics in various industries, promising enhanced efficiency and innovation.
