The U.K.-based firm, which offers grocers online ordering platforms and automated fulfillment warehouses, is contributing £10 million to fellow British tech company Oxbotica’s Series B. (The Logic)

Talking point: Ocado has been key to the e-commerce push by Sobeys owner Empire, with which it has an exclusive Canadian partnership. Sobeys’ Voilà services run on Ocado’s technology, with robots fulfilling orders in specialized warehouses for pickup or delivery by Voilà drivers. As my colleague Aleksandra has reported, the warehouses—one’s already online in the Greater Toronto Area, with others coming in Quebec, Alberta and potentially B.C.—are part of Empire’s ambitious investment in technology. Ocado’s investment—announced Friday, an extension to the Series B revealed in January—will see it work with Oxbotica to develop autonomous vehicles for use first within its warehouses and other closed environments, and eventually for deliveries to consumers. Large grocery chains have been spending big in pursuit of automated last-mile delivery. Yesterday, Walmart invested in robotaxi company Cruise, with an eye to building a last-mile service, and in November, Loblaw-linked Wittington Ventures invested in autonomous-vehicle company Gatik.