Coco Robotics Launches 'Coco 2' for Urban Delivery
Coco Robotics has launched its next-generation "Coco 2" autonomous delivery robot, designed for city-scale logistics. The new model is trained on millions of miles of urban data and features improved navigation, safety systems, and package handling capabilities. The deployment places Coco in direct competition with other last-mile delivery services from companies like Nuro and Amazon.
Coco was founded in 2020 by UCLA alumni Zach Rash and Brad Squicciarini, who started developing the company's first sidewalk robots while they were still students. The Venice, CA-based startup aims to replace car-based delivery for short-distance trips, citing environmental and efficiency benefits. The company has raised over $120 million in total funding, including an $80 million Series B round in June 2025. Prominent investors include OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, his brother Max Altman, and venture firms like Pelion Venture Partners and Founders Fund. While often called autonomous, Coco's fleet currently operates using a remote-piloting system where human operators oversee and control the robots. To ensure reliable, low-latency video feeds for teleoperation, Coco partners with Israeli tech company DriveU.auto for its software-based connectivity platform. The "Coco 1" generation robot was designed and manufactured in partnership with micro-mobility hardware giant Segway. This earlier model, launched in late 2021, nearly doubled the delivery radius to three miles and could carry up to four grocery bags, enabling the company to expand into grocery delivery with partners like Erewhon Market. Coco utilizes a B2B2C model, integrating its service into major platforms like DoorDash and Uber Eats, while also offering dedicated, branded robots directly to merchants as a hardware-as-a-service subscription. This dual approach allows them to scale through large platforms while building direct relationships with businesses. As a key market, Los Angeles has established specific regulations for Personal Delivery Devices (PDDs). The rules cap an operator's fleet size at 75 robots per Neighborhood Council boundary and require the machines to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians and bicycles. To advance its AI capabilities, Coco has a partnership with OpenAI to leverage its advanced models and contribute real-world data from its fleet. In October 2025, the company also appointed UCLA professor Bolei Zhou as its chief AI scientist to lead a physical AI lab focused on leveraging its vast urban navigation data. Prior to the Coco 2 launch, the company had already produced over 1,000 robots and completed more than 500,000 deliveries. Its fleet has traveled over 1 million miles across cities including Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, and Helsinki, Finland.
