GoKawiil
Tech News
DoorDash is said to be in late-stage talks to acquire grocery delivery company Instacart in a deal worth about $17 billion, according to sources cited in reports. An announcement could come as soon as midweek, though the deal is not final and could still collapse. Instacart had previously been linked to acquisition talks with Uber, which sources say are no longer active.
A report surfaced that DoorDash is exploring a possible acquisition of Instacart, according to market reactions cited in coverage. DoorDash's stock declined following the report, signaling investor unease about the prospect. No deal terms or confirmation from either company were disclosed.
DoorDash is said to be exploring a deal to buy Instacart, according to a brief report. Details on valuation, timing or deal structure were not disclosed in the available information.
Digital commerce company Olo has launched a new consumer-facing app for takeout and delivery, moving beyond its prior role as a behind-the-scenes B2B ordering software provider. The app partners with chains like Waffle House and independents like Frank Pepe's, and Olo says it does not mark up menu prices, claiming savings of 15-30% per item versus rival platforms.
Instacart has reportedly hired an investment bank to explore strategic options and has discussed a potential sale with DoorDash, according to The Information. Bloomberg separately reported Instacart also talked with Uber, though Uber reportedly walked away from those discussions. Instacart's stock jumped more than 9.2% on the news, while shares of Uber and DoorDash fell.
Two Cook County residents filed proposed class action suits against Coco Robotics and Serve Robotics, claiming the companies' delivery robots captured facial and body geometry data via cameras and lidar without consent, violating Illinois' Biometric Information Privacy Act. Plaintiffs Mitchell Breidinger and Barry Schain say they received robot deliveries through DoorDash and Uber Eats despite not choosing that option, and that neither company gave written notice about data collection or retention. Both companies deny recording biometric data of customers or bystanders, with Serve stating its cameras are used only for sidewalk navigation.
Olo, led by founder and CEO Noah Glass, has launched a nationwide food-delivery app on iOS and Android featuring 250 restaurant brands at launch. Unlike Uber Eats and DoorDash, Olo charges restaurants no commission-driven markups, instead charging users a flat 5 percent service fee plus delivery charges, with menu prices matching in-store pricing. The app also omits sponsored listings, showing a streamlined list of nearby restaurants and past orders.
DoorDash sent emails to Bay Area restaurants this August saying they may have been added to a startup called Bites' delivery platform without agreeing to its terms, pricing or service standards. Bites is a 10-person pre-seed startup with roughly 300 restaurants in its listings, compared to DoorDash's 970 million orders and $4.5 billion in quarterly revenue. DoorDash's letter noted that unauthorized listing practices could be illegal depending on the state and gave instructions for restaurants to request removal.
Walmart and Alphabet's Wing announced plans to bring drone delivery to the Denver and Seattle metro areas starting in 2027, part of a broader rollout covering more than 270 Walmart stores nationwide. The service currently operates in five metro areas including Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth and Orlando, with 14 more markets such as Miami, Los Angeles and the Bay Area planned. The drones fly up to 60 mph carrying payloads up to five pounds, with orders placed through Walmart's app or Wing's own app.
DoorDash revealed its new drone aircraft at its Dash Forward 2026 event, built by DoorDash Labs, the team behind its sidewalk robot Dot. The company says it designed ground logistics, packaging and its Autonomous Delivery Platform software before finalizing the drone itself, sizing the system using historical order data on weight and delivery distance. The drone service, called DoorDash Air, follows a Part 135 air carrier certification the company received from the FAA and announced in July.
DoorDash unveiled an AI agent that lets customers order food by texting through Apple Messages, understanding prompts like 'order my usual' or requests for specific dishes and recommendations. The agent can suggest carts with photos, handle group orders with mixed dietary needs, and is currently available via a U.S. waitlist. DoorDash also said it will begin testing delivery drones with select restaurants in Northern California.
DoorDash is rolling out its drone delivery program, DoorDash Air, starting in Northern California with Chipotle and Popeyes as launch partners. The company says its six-propeller drone is quiet at delivery altitude and that early tests showed restaurant-to-door delivery times averaging under five minutes for eligible orders.