Deliveroo has announced an exclusive partnership with Coco Robotics to introduce autonomous food deliveries across the UK, starting in Canary Wharf, London, this October.

The roll-out marks Coco Robotics' entry into the UK market and Deliveroo's first use of autonomous delivery vehicles in the country. Following the initial launch, the service will expand to Milton Keynes, Leeds, Stockton-on-Tees and Nottingham over the coming weeks and months.

The partnership forms part of Deliveroo's wider strategy to develop a multi-modal last-mile delivery network, incorporating autonomous technologies alongside its existing rider operations.

Coco's fully electric delivery robots are designed to navigate urban environments at walking pace, providing an alternative option for short-distance deliveries. While the majority of orders will continue to be fulfilled by Deliveroo's rider network, the robots are expected to provide additional capacity and flexibility for participating businesses.

In Canary Wharf, customers will initially be able to order from restaurants and cafés including Patty&Bun, Signorelli and Beam, with plans to expand the service to other businesses such as Ole & Steen, Royal China and Din Tai Fung. In Milton Keynes, participating merchants will include Smoke and Pepper and 5 Akhis.

The UK expansion will be supported by investment in local operational infrastructure, including depots and charging facilities, alongside the creation of skilled jobs in operations, maintenance and logistics.

Miki Kuusi, CEO of Deliveroo and head of DoorDash International, said: “We see huge potential in autonomous delivery and we are looking forward to working with Coco to bring more flexibility to our delivery network, helping local restaurants and shops meet increasing consumer demand”.

Zach Rash, CEO and co-founder of Coco Robotics, added: “We're thrilled to be bringing Coco to the UK with Deliveroo as our launch partner. The interest here has been incredible, and we're committed to building something that creates lasting value for local merchants and the communities they serve.”

As part of its operations, Coco will also work with accessibility technology provider BlindSquare to share real-time data on pavement hazards detected by its robots. The information will be used to alert blind and partially sighted pedestrians to obstacles, including discarded e-scooters and temporary construction works.

The launch builds on Coco's existing partnerships with DoorDash and Wolt, which operate robot delivery services in several cities across the US and Europe, including Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami and Helsinki.

The wider DoorDash group is also investing in other autonomous delivery technologies, including drones and its own ground-based delivery robot, Dot, which is operating in Phoenix, Arizona.