Rollo

Rollo Motion provided hyperlocal delivery services for restaurants using a fleet of unique electric vehicles capable of human-ridden, remote, or fully autonomous operation. The company was founded in September 2018 by Bill Gross and Ryan McLean, who also served as CEO, and originated as an Idealab company. It was based in Pasadena, California.

The business model aimed to solve the last-mile delivery problem by creating a hybrid fleet that blended lower-cost autonomous delivery with human operators for more complex drop-offs. This approach was designed to reduce operational costs compared to traditional car-based or fully robotic delivery services, offering better value to restaurant partners. The electric vehicles were built to operate in bike lanes, reducing road congestion and vehicle footprint at restaurants. Rollo Motion partnered with restaurants, allowing users to order through the restaurant's system and then request delivery via the Rollo website. By May 2021, the company had completed over 5,000 deliveries in Pasadena and was expanding to Santa Monica. The company sought funding through a SeedInvest campaign in 2021 with a pre-money valuation of over $20 million. Institutional investors included City Light Capital, Ubiquity Ventures, and Idealabx. According to a Tracxn profile, the company is now considered deadpooled.

Keywords: hyperlocal delivery, autonomous vehicles, last-mile delivery, restaurant delivery, micromobility, remote operation vehicles, electric delivery vehicles, Idealab, food tech, urban logistics, Pasadena startup, delivery automation, hybrid fleet, smart fleet, robotic delivery, Bill Gross, Ryan McLean