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1 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stock Wall Street Thinks Investors Are Still Underestimating

By Howard Smith | January 24, 2026, 7:35 AM

Key Points

  • A recent acquisition will move Serve Robotics' platform into a large new market.

  • Analysts who are already bullish will now need to consider an even bigger addressable market.

  • One report says the humanoid robot market will grow at an annual rate of nearly 40% through 2030.

Delivery robots are moving from a speculative venture to a more common alternative. Serve Robotics (NASDAQ: SERV) is leading the way, now with more than 2,000 delivery robots deployed.

The company has been rapidly growing into more U.S. markets, including Los Angeles, Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Chicago, and Alexandria, Virginia. Serve is also moving beyond just sidewalk delivery robots. Yet the company is still just covered by fewer than 10 Wall Street analysts.

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Serve and Diligent Robotics robots side by side.

Image source: Serve Robotics.

Large market for robots

Serve Robotics originated as a spinoff of Uber Technologies' robotics division, Postmates X, following Uber's 2020 purchase of Postmates. The company's goal is to transform last-mile delivery by deploying sidewalk-navigating robots that help lower delivery costs and reduce emissions compared to conventional delivery methods.

Serve's robots are equipped with sophisticated sensors and machine learning tools, enabling them to safely interact with pedestrians in urban settings. Serve Robotics wants to advance autonomous vehicle technology to enhance the sustainability and efficiency of urban delivery. Now, through a recently announced acquisition, the company is bringing its AI technology beyond the sidewalk setting.

Analysts could get even more bullish

While followed by only a handful of analysts, Serve has a positive consensus rating from that group. One of the most bullish among them is Northland Capital Market's Michael Latimore. He calls it a top pick for 2026, with a $26 per share price target. That implies nearly a double from recent levels.

That analysis doesn't account for a new acquisition that expands Serve's addressable market. On Jan. 21, Serve announced it is acquiring privately held Diligent Robotics, a provider of AI-powered robot assistants for the healthcare industry. The transaction marks Serve's initial expansion of its autonomy platform into indoor environments. Hospitals could be among the most impactful settings for robotics implementation.

Diligent's robot, Moxi, is an autonomous hospital-delivery robot that supports nurses and hospital staff. Moxi is deployed in more than 25 hospital facilities across the U.S. Serve already has a close relationship with AI leader Nvidia. Moxi also utilizes Nvidia's Jetson embedded robotics platform.

Investors may be underestimating Serve Robotics' potential. A report from global market research and consulting firm MarketsAndMarkets stated:

The global humanoid robot market is projected to grow from $2.92 billion in 2025 to $15.26 billion by 2030, registering a CAGR [compound annual growth rate] of 39.2%. Growth is being propelled by rising adoption of humanoid robots in personal assistance, caregiving, and healthcare applications, alongside increasing deployment in manufacturing, retail, and logistics for workforce augmentation.

With Serve shares dropping after the acquisition announcement, it may be a good time for investors to at least attain a small position in this robotics stock.

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Howard Smith has positions in Nvidia and has the following options: short February 2026 $170 calls on Nvidia. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Nvidia, Serve Robotics, and Uber Technologies. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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