Grubhub partners with Avride for the future of food delivery

Grubhub recently signed a novel agreement with the startup Avride to test delivery robots on the streets of Jersey City. This test comes on the heels of the company’s announcement in February that it had deployed 100 Avride delivery robots on college campuses across North America.

“Avride’s deployment at The Ohio State University is one of the largest autonomous delivery operations in the world,” observed Anton Shingarev, Avride’s head of public affairs. “On an average week, the fleet completes more than 6,000 orders, reaching up to 1,600 deliveries per day during peak periods.”

“More than 120 robots operate across the campus, serving tens of thousands of students, faculty, and staff,” he added. “The scale of this program has allowed Avride and Grubhub to demonstrate how autonomous delivery can function reliably at city-like volume levels while maintaining safety and consistency.”

According to Grubhub, the Ohio State University was one of 40 campuses across the country deploying autonomous terrestrial rovers. Shingarev further explained how it prepared his company to tackle the urban challenges of New Jersey.

“Delivering autonomously in a dense city like Jersey City presents a very different set of challenges compared to a controlled campus environment,” he said. “The robots must safely navigate through mixed traffic, pedestrians, cyclists, and unpredictable street conditions, while also complying with local rules and ensuring they don’t block sidewalks or entrances.”

The built environment adds complexity — narrow sidewalks, uneven curbs, and frequent construction zones can all affect routing,” noted Shingarev. “To manage this, Avride uses detailed, high-resolution maps and adaptive routing systems that update continuously based on live data.”

The company is also raising public awareness, he said, because “people need to understand what the robots are doing and how to interact with them.”

This partnership came a year after Wonder acquired Grubhub, and could be an example of what’s to come from the take-away conglomerate.

“This pilot represents the next step in our mission to provide diners with fast, reliable, and delightful delivery experiences,” said PJ Poykayil, senior vice president of customer delivery operations at Wonder and Grubhub. “By combining Grubhub’s marketplace, Wonder’s culinary innovation and Avride’s advanced robotics, we’re delivering the future of convenience.”

Delivery robots promise increased sustainability, safety

Besides the convenience factor, delivery robots can reduce carbon emissions and the risk of accidents.

“The use of sidewalk robots or aerial drones removes some vehicles from the roadways, yielding more benefits. Moreover, the expectation is these vehicles will be electric-powered, reducing their carbon footprint,” reported the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI).

In addition, robotic deliveries cold provide safety benefits by reducing crashes and accidents resulting from human error.

In fact, a 2021 VTTI study estimated that the full-scale market penetration of occupantless vehicles could reduce national road fatalities and injuries by between 55% and 62%—saving about 34,000 American lives and avoiding 4 million injuries per year. It said that most of that reduction would come “through the removal of occupants who were simply making a trip to a store for goods that could have been delivered.”

This past week, New York City implemented a groundbreaking 15 mph (24.1 kph) speed limit for e-bikes. This law comes on the heels of an almost 300% spike in bike fatalities in the Big Apple in 2025. According to City Hall, nearly 30% of e-bike delivery workers reported injuries that required medical care, lost time, or loss of consciousness.

Meal delivery services in the U.S. have increased by more than 160% since the COVID-19 pandemic, with New York accounting for probably billions of dollars in fees for Uber Eats, DoorDash, and others. While the speed limit has taken effect, it’s questionable as to whether it will be inforced, as the NYPD is already overwhelmed.

New York might find the solution to the e-bike nuisance across the Hudson River, with Jersey City’s innovative fleet of robots.

Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop cautiously announces the autonomous delivery program on social media. Source: X

Last-mile drones also deliver benefits

A similar premise is behind ff Venture Capital portfolio company Manna Air Delivery, which uses drones to deliver food orders in three minutes or less.

“Drone delivery is faster, quieter, more scalable, and safer, and it’s a far better experience for customers that want everything from groceries to takeaway food to hot coffee,” boasted CEO Bobby Healy. “The speed as well as the cost of operation is good, having been reduced to a tenth of a fraction in the past few years. It is so much more scalable, much better for small and big businesses, and much better for the consumer. Everything about it is superior to road-based delivery.”

Manna competes with Zipline, Wing, Flytrex, and DroneUp for leadership in the skies.

A Happy Manna Drone Delivery Customer in Ireland. Source: The Mnya Creations

In addition to safety, profit margins are a prime driver of last-mile delivery automation. Healy told Forbes in March that Manna’s drone-delivery costs were around $4, with a human required to load 25 to 30 deliveries per hour while monitoring up to 20 drones. The company aims to get it down to $1 with high volume.

While Shingarev wouldn’t disclose Avride’s cost per trip, he did say, “Robot delivery helps make deliveries more affordable for customers. Lower delivery costs encourage more customers to use the service, which in turn supports local restaurants by increasing overall order volume on the marketplace.”

Robots might finally be having their moment right now, replacing overworked e-bike drivers who are forced to ride more aggressively to make a living wage. Avride and Manna said such workers could one day manage fleets of bots from the safety of a screen.

No wonder hundreds of startups are aiming to capture market share of this multibillion-dollar industry, which could experience a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 22% to $10.3 billion by 2034, according to market.us.

The global market for autonomous last-mile deliveries could continue to grow. Source: market.us.

Avride plans to add robotaxis to delivery robots

The big opportunity of automating last-mile delivery led Uber and Nebius to invest $375 million in Avride last month.

“We’re excited to continue deepening our partnership with Avride and look forward to introducing their impressive autonomous driving technologies to more people in more markets,” said Sarfraz Maredia, head of autonomous mobility and delivery at Uber.

Avride’s robot is being filled with Wonder take-out for GrubHub customers in Jersey City, NJ. Source: Avride

Arkady Volozh, CEO of AI infrastructure firm Neibus, echoed his comments: “We’re delighted to welcome Uber as a strategic investor that shares Avride’s vision and will enable the company to move further and faster in pioneering AI-driven autonomous transportation.”

The financing round’s partnership is more than just about delivering food, as Avride has big plans for autonomous taxis.

“The next major step for Avride is the launch of its robotaxi service in Dallas, planned for December 2025,” said Shingarev. “Alongside this, the company will continue expanding its delivery operations across both university campuses and urban environments, including growing our partnership with Grubhub in Jersey City following a successful pilot.”

“Several new city and campus deployments are already planned for the coming months and into next year — so there’s much more to come,” he said. “Stay tuned!”