“Scaling Autonomous Delivery: Engineering, Humans, and the Future of Urban Robotics”

As cities evolve, so do the ways we move goods through them. At Coco Robotics, we’re building fleets of autonomous sidewalk robots that make delivery faster, cheaper, and more sustainable—while reimagining how robotics can integrate safely and intelligently into urban life.
In this talk, Zach Rash, Co-Founder and CEO of Coco Robotics, will explore what it really takes to scale an autonomous delivery network in the unpredictable real world. From operating thousands of robots across multiple cities to developing the AI systems that enable reliable navigation and delivery, Zach will share the technical and operational challenges of bringing robotics out of the lab and into live streets.
He’ll also discuss how Coco has leveraged human-operated robots as a critical stepping stone—collecting real-world data to train and refine its autonomy stack. This approach allows Coco to iterate safely, accelerate machine learning at scale, and continuously improve performance in diverse urban environments.
Beyond the technology, Zach will discuss how Coco’s approach blends innovation, entrepreneurship, and civic collaboration to shape the future of urban logistics—and create meaningful opportunities for human creativity and engineering in an increasingly automated world.

Zach Rash is the CEO and Co-founder of Coco, which is building the world’s largest urban autonomous delivery fleet and has completed over 500,000 zero-emission deliveries across LA, Miami, Chicago, and Helsinki since 2020. With $110M from Sam Altman, Founders Fund, and Pelion, he’s shaping the future of sustainable urban logistics.