Deliveroo will roll out autonomous sidewalk robots across five UK urban locations under a new partnership with Coco Robotics, beginning with a 12-month trial in Canary Wharf this month.

The London financial-district pilot marks the first commercial deployment of autonomous delivery vehicles by Deliveroo, the UK-headquartered food-delivery platform now operating under DoorDash International, and the entry of Los Angeles-based Coco Robotics into the UK market.

What is the rollout timeline?

The Canary Wharf deployment starts this month. Milton Keynes, Leeds, Stockton-on-Tees and Nottingham will follow in subsequent phases, the companies said. Deliveroo did not disclose launch dates for the four additional sites or the order in which they will come online.

Coco already partners with DoorDash in the US and Wolt in other markets. The UK rollout adds a third major platform relationship for the sidewalk-robotics specialist and signals further consolidation in the autonomous last-mile segment.

How will the operation work?

Coco's battery-powered robots travel at walking pace, navigating pavements through onboard sensors, cameras and AI-driven software. The system processes environmental data at the edge rather than via cloud connectivity, which Coco says lets units respond to changing urban traffic conditions in real time.

Deliveroo will back the network with new operational infrastructure, including local depots and charging facilities. The build-out will create roles in operations, maintenance and logistics, though the companies did not specify headcount or capital commitments.

What does it mean for merchants and couriers?

Initial participating restaurants in Canary Wharf will include Patty&Bun, Signorelli and Beam. The service is expected to expand to additional merchants as the trial progresses.

Deliveroo said the robots are designed for short-distance urban drops, not as a replacement for its rider fleet. The majority of orders across the platform will continue to be delivered by human couriers, according to the company.

Who is involved?

Miki Kuusi, CEO at Deliveroo and head of DoorDash International, framed the partnership as complementary capacity rather than displacement.

"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," Kuusi said.

"We firmly believe that robot and drone technology should benefit High Street businesses of all sizes, helping them remain competitive and meet consumers in new ways."

What about accessibility and regulation?

Coco will share pavement-hazard data detected by its robots with BlindSquare, a navigation app used by blind and partially sighted people. The arrangement is among the first commercial data-sharing pipelines of its kind between a sidewalk-robotics operator and an accessibility software provider.

Deliveroo said local authorities have welcomed the planned launches. Coco is in discussions with other councils across London and the wider UK, though no further municipal agreements were disclosed.

What is the commercial outlook?

Last-mile robotics remains a small share of total UK parcel and food-delivery volume, but unit economics are tightening as labour costs rise and platform competition intensifies. A successful 12-month Canary Wharf trial would position Deliveroo to scale robots across denser urban catchments where rider availability is thinnest and order density highest.

The companies will present further data on autonomous delivery, last-mile infrastructure and urban goods movement at Urban Logistics, scheduled for 9-10 June 2027 at ExCeL London.