Singapore-based ride-hailing and delivery firm Grab Holdings has acquired Infermove, a Chinese AI robotics company, marking what, according to the ride-hailer, is a significant strategic move in the artificial intelligence ( AI ) robotics sector.

The acquisition aims to enhance Grab’s automated delivery capabilities for both the “first mile” and “last mile” of logistics operations.

Infermove, founded in early 2021 by Aaron Lu in California, later established offices in Beijing and Suzhou, China  focusing on research and development and manufacturing. As a start-up specializing in autonomous driving systems for unstructured environments and mobile manipulation robots, its product portfolio includes sidewalk delivery robots with upper-limb manipulation capabilities and personal mobility robots.

Leveraging driving data from non-motorized vehicles, such as delivery riders’ electric scooters, Infermove is training mobile robots capable of adapting to complex real-world physical environments.

Through imitation learning, reinforcement learning technologies and self-developed end-to-end algorithms, the company enables robots to exhibit human-like operational capabilities in intricate last-mile delivery scenarios.

Its proprietary Rider Shadow System allows crowdsourced collection of robot training data using last-mile mobility devices like electric wheelchairs and riders’ electric scooters, addressing “the industry-wide challenges of slow, costly data acquisition and over-reliance on simulated or demonstration data in embodied intelligence”.

Despite its relatively short operational history, Infermove has achieved rapid progress in commercialization. Currently, its Carri series robots have partnered with major delivery platforms in China, including Meituan, Ele.me of Alibaba, Sam’s Club and Dada of JD.com.

Simultaneously, the company has established pilot projects with local corporate clients in overseas markets, such as Singapore, Japan and Australia. According to financial and outstanding order information disclosed by listed-Tieda Technology during its investment in Infermove, the company’s revenue surged from only 100,000 yuan ( US$14,305 ) in 2023 to 10 million yuan in 2025, achieving a 100-fold growth in three years. With over 1,000 outstanding orders pending delivery, Infermove expects its revenue to exceed 200 million yuan in 2026.

This acquisition, Grab points out, represents a crucial step in its efforts to advance automation within its expanding delivery and mobility network in Southeast Asia and beyond.

“Amid rising labour costs and sustained growth in on-demand delivery demand,” Grab adds, “robotics technology and artificial intelligence have become key drivers for enhancing service reliability and maintaining profit margins.”