Robomart launched the RM5, a level-four autonomous delivery robot aiming to cut costs and boost on-demand delivery profits. The RM5 can haul 500 pounds and has 10 lockers for batch deliveries, letting it handle multiple orders in one run.
Robomart’s CEO Ali Ahmed told TechCrunch they plan to turn this into an autonomous delivery marketplace. Retailers will join Robomart’s app with their storefronts, similar to UberEats or DoorDash.
The kicker? A flat $3 delivery fee per order, ditching the usual stack of fees other apps charge. 
“We see this as building our own autonomous marketplace,” Ali Ahmed said.
“That is something that is pretty unique in this space, an autonomous marketplace for on-demand delivery using self-driving robots.”
Robomart will onboard retailers in Austin, Texas soon, with plans to launch later this year.
Founded in 2017, Robomart started with “store on wheels” autonomous mobile stores delivering pharmacy items and ice cream. Ahmed’s background includes founding Dispatch Messenger, a UK on-demand delivery platform that struggled with profitability relying on human drivers.
“Our robots bring the cost of a delivery down by up to 70%,” Ahmed said.
“If you are paying a driver $18 an hour, your cost, just for that driver, is $9 to $10 an hour.”
The company has raised under $5 million from investors like Hustle Fund, SOSV, and Wasabi Ventures, building five robot generations so far.
“We have raised almost $4 million in funding, and that has enabled us to build five generations of robots and now deploy the first autonomous marketplace for the road,” Ahmed said.
“I’m proud of our team, and it’s a testament to how much we have been able to achieve.”
Robomart tries to undercut giants like UberEats and GrubHub with straightforward pricing and a new delivery tech approach.
“To give them this incredible proposition of $3 and no other charges, just [price] markups in themselves can be prohibitively expensive,” Ahmed said.
“They don’t even realize they are paying that markup and the other fees and the tips. This makes [our model] very attractive to the retailers and customers.”
