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§ Private Profile · Glendale, CA, USA
Robomart is a technology company.
Robomart develops and deploys autonomous smart shops, offering a white-label platform that empowers retailers to bring mobile storefronts directly to consumers. These self-driving vehicles integrate a proprietary checkout-free system, temperature-controlled compartments, and advanced sensors for autonomous operation, alongside external cameras for security. The company designs specialized units, including frozen, refrigerated, and ambient Robomarts, to accommodate a diverse range of products.
The company was co-founded in January 2018 by Ali Ahmed, Emad Suhail Rahim, and Tigran Shahverdyan. Robomart initially unveiled its concept of a self-driving store at CES 2018, followed by the demonstration of its first functional prototype at GITEX later that year. This foundational insight centered on reimagining retail accessibility by eliminating the fixed overhead of traditional brick-and-mortar locations.
Robomart serves retailers seeking innovative distribution channels, allowing them to license the technology and manage their own fleets of mobile stores. The end consumer experiences a "store-hailing" service, where goods are selected from the autonomous vehicle and automatically charged, simplifying the purchasing process. The company's vision is to offer a scalable solution for retailers to expand their market reach, establishing a new paradigm for convenient retail by bringing products directly to customers' doorsteps.
Robomart has raised $3.4M across 3 funding rounds.
Robomart has raised $3.4M in total across 3 funding rounds.
Robomart has raised $3.4M in total across 3 funding rounds.
Robomart's investors include David Warschawski, Hustle Fund, SOSV, Turtle Ventures, Wasabi Ventures, Lisa Friedlander, HAX, Jonathan Hung.
Robomart is a Los Angeles-based robotics startup developing fully autonomous, road-going delivery robots that function as mobile stores or Instacart alternatives, carrying up to 500 pounds across 10 lockers for multiple orders at a flat $3 fee, slashing delivery costs by 70-80% compared to human-driven services.[1][2][5] It serves consumers and retailers seeking ultra-fast, error-free on-demand delivery of groceries, ice cream, and other goods, solving high fees, long wait times (over 30 minutes for 90% of competitors), wrong orders (87% issue), and melting perishables via proprietary RFID checkout-free tech and batching.[2][3][6] Backed by HAX/SOSV, Robomart has piloted with Unilever and Mars, launched services in West Hollywood with REEF, and plans Austin retailer onboarding, owning patents for autonomous vehicle delivery.[1][3][6]
Founded around 2018 by serial entrepreneur Ali Ahmed (CEO, ex-Unilever where the "store on wheels" idea emerged a decade prior, prior LuteBox founder), alongside Emad Rahim (CSO) and Tigran Shahverdyan (CTO)—all with robotics and delivery expertise—Robomart debuted at CES 2018 with the world's first self-driving grocery store prototype.[1][4][6] Early traction included 2020 trials delivering pharmacy items and ice cream, partnerships like Unilever for melt-proof delivery, and a 2023 West Hollywood launch as a "store-hailing" platform with REEF for stocking.[2][3][6] Pivotal moments: unveiling the RM5 Level-4 autonomous robot and shifting to fully driverless road vehicles amid maturing AV tech.[2][5]
Robomart rides the autonomous delivery and last-mile logistics boom, fueled by AV advancements (e.g., Level-4 autonomy), e-commerce surge post-COVID, and consumer demand for cheap, instant grocery (90% delayed >30min elsewhere).[2][3][5] Timing aligns with regulatory easing for driverless vehicles and robotics scaling, countering sidewalk bot limits (capacity/speed) and drone hurdles (payload regs).[1][4][7] Market tailwinds: rising labor costs, $100B+ delivery market friction (fees, errors), enabling profitability where humans fail.[2][5] It influences retail by empowering grocers with owned fleets/data, disrupting Instacart/Uber Eats/Postmates toward "store-to-you" models and unattended retail.[3][4][6]
Robomart is primed to scale with Austin launches and retailer onboarding, leveraging its patented platform for multi-city expansion as AV regs mature.[2][7] Trends like AI-driven batching, 5G fleet ops, and perishables focus will accelerate adoption, potentially capturing share in a market craving sub-$5 delivery.[2][5] Influence may evolve from niche pilots to grocer standard, licensing tech widely if it proves 80% cost wins at volume—positioning as the autonomous backbone for profitable on-demand retail.[1][4] This "Instacart killer" could redefine convenience, starting from Ali Ahmed's decade-old vision now road-ready.[4]
Robomart has raised $3.4M across 3 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $2.0M Seed in August 2023.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 1, 2023 | $2M Seed | David Warschawski | Hustle Fund, SOSV, Turtle Ventures, Wasabi Ventures, Lisa Friedlander, HAX, Jonathan Hung | Announced |
| Aug 1, 2020 | $640K Series U | — | Hustle Fund, SOSV, Turtle Ventures, Wasabi Ventures | Announced |
| Nov 1, 2019 | $800K Seed | — | Hustle Fund, SOSV, Turtle Ventures, Wasabi Ventures | Announced |