Nuro Inc. will soon be delivering goods on behalf of Uber Technologies Inc.
Starting this fall, the autonomous delivery vehicle startup will make food deliveries in Mountain View and Houston on behalf of San Francisco-based Uber's Uber Eats unit. The arrangement is part of a 10-year deal the companies announced Thursday.
"Nuro and Uber share a vision in which technology can make everyday life just a little bit easier," Noah Zych, Uber's global head of autonomous mobility and delivery, said in the press announcement. He continued: "This partnership will bring a compelling combination of innovation alongside the convenience, affordability and reliability our customers and merchants have come to expect."
Uber representatives did not respond to a request for comment.
As part of the companies' arrangement, Uber Eats customers will be able to choose to have groceries or takeout food delivered by Nuro's automated, driverless, street-legal delivery vehicles. Uber and Nuro plan to eventually team up to offer deliveries throughout the Bay Area, they said in their press release.
Their deal follows a similar one Nuro announced in December with convenience store chain 7-Eleven. It's unclear whether that arrangement is ongoing.
"Our partnership with Uber underscores Nuro's track record of partnering with the world's leading brands to make autonomous delivery a seamless experience," Cosimo Leipold, Nuro's head of partnerships, said in the announcement. "With our unique autonomous delivery vehicles and Uber’s phenomenal scale and reach, we can expand food delivery options from your favorite local mom-and-pop restaurants all the way to nationwide chains."
Nuro representatives did not immediately respond to emailed questions from the Business Journal.
In March, the startup doubled the size of its Mountain View headquarters. In July, though, it cut dozens of jobs from its corporate base and other locations and announced plans to close its Phoenix office.
