Marc Lore’s startup, Wonder, is betting on automation to transform the food industry. The company is using robots, drones, and AI-generated menus in its food halls to lower prices and compete with takeout and grocery stores. Wonder recently raised a $650 million Series D round at a $9 billion pre-money valuation, with plans to go public next year.\n\nLore, a veteran e-commerce entrepreneur, previously sold Quidsi to Amazon and Jet.com to Walmart for $3.3 billion.

He served as Walmart’s U.S. e-commerce chief before founding Wonder in 2018. The New York-based company is rapidly expanding its footprint and funneling the new funding into further technology investments.\n\nBy infusing automation into cooking, delivery, and menu creation, Wonder aims to offer affordable meals. The strategy reflects Lore’s pattern of disrupting established industries through technology.

The company’s public market debut, anticipated for next year, will be a key milestone.