Serve Robotics expands into healthcare by acquiring Diligent Robotics, known for its hospital assistant robot Moxi, valued at $29 million.
Diligent was started in 2017 by Andrea Thomaz and Vivian Chu. Since then, it raised over $75 million, including $25 million in 2023. This acquisition is Serve’s first move outside food delivery. Serve started in 2017 with Postmates and went public in April 2024.
Ali Kashani, Serve’s CEO, believes this move fits their goal. Although Serve hasn’t focused on healthcare, the Moxi robot matches their idea of robots that deliver things alongside people. Kashani said, “Once you solve the problem of robots moving among people, you can use them in many places.”
Kashani noted healthcare wasn’t a planned area for growth, but the timing was right. Diligent wanted to grow, and Serve was open to new ideas. He said they like Diligent’s team because they build things in real life, just like Serve.
Diligent will still work semi-independently but will use Serve’s tools to help them grow. Kashani stressed that this isn’t a big change for Serve and they aren’t looking to buy more startups. They remain focused on sidewalk delivery robots but will watch for interesting partnerships.
Serve grew its robot fleet from 100 to over 2,000 in 2025. The company also teamed up with DoorDash in Los Angeles to help with deliveries. Kashani explained, “Our sidewalk business is fueling everything. It helps us create what we need for other uses.”