Since DoorDash is betting big on bots, should you buy DASH stock here?

DoorDash (DASH) has entered the autonomous delivery race with Dot, a compact robot designed to navigate streets, bike lanes and sidewalks at speeds of up to 20 mph. The delivery giant developed the delivery drone in-house, through its DoorDash Labs division. This marks its first independent push into robotics after previous experiments with drones and partnerships with companies like Coco Robotics.

The Dot can carry up to 30 pounds, roughly the equivalent of six pizza boxes, and uses eight cameras, plus three lidar sensors, to handle difficult scenarios like crowded parking lots and closed bike lanes. The company is initially testing the robot in Phoenix and Mesa, Arizona, with plans to expand to other cities later.

DoorDash also unveiled its autonomous delivery platform, which acts as an artificial intelligence (AI) dispatcher to match orders with the best delivery method, whether that’s a human Dasher or a robot.

DoorDash insists Dashers will continue to handle the majority of deliveries, with standalone options to fill in the gaps during peak times or late-night shifts. The company also introduced SmartScale, a weighing feature that reduced complaints of missing items by up to 30% in testing.

Autonomous delivery remains expensive and operationally complex, with regulatory hurdles in many markets. Competitors such as Uber (UBER) are pursuing similar strategies through partnerships rather than building their internal capabilities. For investors, DASH stock may benefit if Dot improves its margins and delivery efficiency; However, this technology is still early and not widely proven.

In the past month, DoorDash has made several announcements that could reshape its competitive positioning and revenue mix. In October, DoorDash completed the acquisition of Deliveroo, a leading European food delivery platform. The all-cash deal strengthens DoorDash’s international footprint and positions it as an even stronger global player in local commerce.

Deliveroo will continue to operate independently with access to the scale and resources of DoorDash. DoorDash has launched Going Out, a new feature that allows users to book restaurant reservations directly through its app without any cover fees. The service integrates with SevenRooms and rewards customers with credits for future orders for each booking.