Postmates Hires Apple's Ken Kocienda As Principal Software Engineer Focusing On Human-Machine Interaction

SAN FRANCISCO, June 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Postmates, the leader in delivering anything you want on-demand, announced today that they've hired bestselling author and long-time Apple engineer, Ken Kocienda, as Principal Software Engineer. He will be joining the Postmates team and working first on Postmates X, building the new platform for the company's autonomous sidewalk rover, Serve.

Previously at Apple, Kocienda drove innovation on the software teams that created the first versions of the Safari web browser, the iPhone, the iPad, and the Apple Watch. He collaborated with designers and engineers to develop features for the original release of iOS through iOS 11. He delivered faces for the first Apple Watch, algorithms for 3D Touch and the pressure-sensitive home button, accessibility features, and user interface elements for SpringBoard, Live Photos, and the two-lens Portrait filter. He also invented autocorrect for the original iPhone and holds over 50 patents for his work at Apple.

Kocienda is the author of the bestselling book, Creative Selection: Inside Apple's Design Process During the Golden Age of Steve Jobs. The book focuses on his more than fifteen years of experience at Apple.

"Ken's impact and contributions at Apple have made a lasting impression at one of the most iconic companies in the world. His experience and leadership will be invaluable to our team," said Bastian Lehmann, co-founder & CEO, Postmates. "Ken's vision and technical expertise in human-machine interaction further strengthens our position as a leading innovator in on-demand logistics."

"I have spent my career building products and technology in new and emerging fields such as web browsers, mobile operating systems, and wearables. The major platform shift to robotics and automation will have a huge impact on how we interact with products in our daily lives," said Kocienda. "Postmates X and their focus on robotic innovation and design goes beyond solving just a logistics problem. It is an opportunity to impact the future. Serve will become a part of the fabric of American culture as urban centers continue to undergo a massive transformation."

Postmates is the leader in offering the most choice in on-demand delivery from more than 500,000 restaurants, grocery and convenience stores, as well as traditional retailers. The company now operates in about 3,500 cities and has added some of the most sought-after local and national restaurants, serving 70 of the top 100 restaurants in the US. Postmates first introduced Serve in December of 2018 and has been testing in various locations.

Some of the unique and industry-leading features of Serve include:

• Serve's socially aware navigation brings together design and technology in an entirely new way for sidewalk rovers
• Serve has the most advanced set of sensors including Velodyne Lidar and uses a NVIDIA XAVIER Processor
• Serve can carry 50 lbs and go 30 miles on a single charge
• Customers interact with Serve using a touchscreen and cameras
• To communicate, Serve has dynamic lighting in the eyes and a light ring on top to signal
  movement like a change in direction

ABOUT POSTMATES
Postmates helps people unlock the best of their cities – and their lives, with the leading on-demand "anything" network. Launched in 2011, Postmates led the on-demand delivery movement in the U.S. by offering delivery from restaurants and stores previously only available offline. The company now operates in nearly 3,500 cities across the U.S. and Mexico, provides access to over 500,000 merchants and has recently launched innovative new products including Postmates Party. Postmates is headquartered in San Francisco and has more than 800 employees. Learn more: www.postmates.com.

SOURCE Postmates

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