Why Serve Robotics is acquiring a hospital assistant robot company

Serve Robotics, a company known for its sidewalk delivery robots and backed by Nvidia and Uber, is expanding into healthcare through its acquisition of Diligent Robotics, a startup that develops hospital assistant robots named Moxi. The deal values Diligent’s common stock at $29 million. Founded in 2017 and having raised over $75 million in venture capital, Diligent’s robots assist hospitals by delivering lab samples, supplies, and performing other tasks. This acquisition marks Serve’s first move beyond food delivery, where it initially grew after being incubated inside Postmates and later spinning off in 2021 before going public in April 2024. Serve’s CEO Ali Kashani explained that the acquisition aligns with the company’s broader vision of autonomous robots navigating alongside humans in various environments, not just food delivery. While healthcare was not a targeted expansion area, the timing and shared mission between the two companies made the acquisition a natural fit. Diligent will operate relatively independently but will leverage Serve’s software