Starship Technologies

{{Short description|Company developing small self-driving robotic delivery vehicles}}

{{Infobox company

| name = Starship Technologies, Inc.

| logo = Starship Technologies logo.svg

| image = MGL0333.jpg

| image_caption = A Starship robot delivering food to students at Oregon State University

| type = Private

| industry = Robotics
Logistics

| fate =

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| founded = {{Start date and age|df=y|2014|06|11}} in Tallinn, Estonia

| founders = Janus Friis
Ahti Heinla

| defunct =

| hq_location_city = San Francisco

| hq_location_country = United States

| num_locations =

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| areas_served = United States
United Kingdom
Germany
Estonia
Finland

| key_people = Ahti Heinla (CEO)

| products = Delivery robots

| brands =

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| production_year =

| services = Last mile delivery

| revenue =

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| website = {{URL|https://www.starship.xyz/}}

}}

Starship Technologies, Inc. is an Estonian company developing autonomous delivery vehicles. Founded in 2014, the company is headquartered in San Francisco, California, with engineering operations in Tallinn, Estonia, and Helsinki, Finland. Starship also has offices in London and Milton Keynes in the United Kingdom and in Hamburg, Germany.{{cite web |title=About Us |work=Starship Technologies |year=2016 |url=https://www.starship.xyz/about-us/ |access-date=2016-08-30}}

As of March 2024, the company has raised approximately $230 million in equity funding and €50 million in long term loan facilities.{{Cite web |last=Vartabedian |first=Marc |date=2022-03-01 |title=Starship, a Robot Food-Delivery Startup, Nets $100 Million |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/starship-a-robot-food-delivery-startup-nets-100-million-11646184462 |access-date=2022-03-30 |website=Wall Street Journal}}

History <span class="anchor" id="Milton Keynes"></span>

Starship Technologies was founded by Skype co-founders Janus Friis and Ahti Heinla in 2014.

{{cite news

| url= https://venturebeat.com/2018/10/31/starship-technologies-launches-commercial-package-delivery-service-using-autonomous-robots/

| title= Starship Technologies launches commercial package delivery service using autonomous robots

| first = Paul | last = Sawers

| date= 2018-10-31

| work= VentureBeat

| access-date= 2020-06-13}}

Heinla and Friis had taken part in a NASA competition, the Centennial Challenge, to design and build autonomous robots to retrieve geological samples. While their team (named 'Kuukulgur', or 'Moon Rover') did not win the competition, Heinla and Friis began working to apply the technology they had developed to the problem of last mile delivery following a meeting in London.

{{cite news

| url= https://estonia.ee/allan-martinson-the-perfect-storm-for-estonian-startups/

| title= Allan Martinson: the perfect storm for Estonian startups

| date= December 2018

| work= Enterprise Estonia

| access-date= 2020-06-13}}

Starship Technologies OÜ was registered on 11 June 2014 in Tallinn, Estonia.

{{cite web

| url= https://www.e-krediidiinfo.ee/12673365-STARSHIP%20TECHNOLOGIES%20O%C3%9C

| title= Starship Technologies OÜ

| language = Estonian

| work=e-Krediidiinfo

| access-date= 2020-06-13}}

Starship Technologies, Inc., a Delaware corporation, was registered in San Francisco, United States, on 28 September 2016.

{{cite web

| url= https://businesssearch.sos.ca.gov/Document/RetrievePDF?Id=03949600-21327976

| title= Statement and Designation by Foreign Corporation. Starship Technologies, Inc.

| publisher=Alex Padilla, California Secretary of State

| access-date= 2020-06-13}}

Starship Technologies launched pilot services in 2016, in the US and the UK among other countries, with commercial services launched in 2017. In April 2018, Starship launched its autonomous delivery service in Milton Keynes in partnership with Co-op and Tesco.

{{cite news

| url= https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/co-op-expands-robot-deliveries-to-second-store/591944.article

| title= Co-op expands robot deliveries to second store

| first = Steve | last = Farrell

| date= 2019-04-01

| work= The Grocer

| access-date= 2020-06-14}}

In March 2020, Starship became the first robot delivery service to operate in a British town center with the rollout of its service in Central Milton Keynes.

{{cite news

| url= https://www.verdict.co.uk/robot-delivery-service-starship/

| title= Robot delivery service comes to first UK town centre

| first = Lucy| last = Ingham

| date= 2020-03-16

| work= Verdict

| access-date= 2020-06-14}}

By November 2020, Starship claimed that Milton Keynes had the 'world's largest autonomous robot fleet'.{{Cite press release|title=Milton Keynes now has 'world's largest autonomous robot fleet' as Starship expand further|url=https://www.mkfm.com/news/local-news/milton-keynes-now-has-worlds-largest-autonomous-robot-fleet-as-starship-expand-further/|access-date=2020-11-06|via=MKFM|work=Starship Technologies}} By March 2023 the company was delivering in seven British cities.{{cite news| last=Hern | first=Alex | title=Co-op hires delivery droids to drop groceries in Greater Manchester | newspaper=The Guardian | date=15 March 2023 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/mar/15/co-op-hires-delivery-droids-to-drop-groceries-in-greater-manchester}}

In January 2019, Starship partnered with Sodexo to launch robot food delivery services at George Mason University in Virginia, US. With a fleet of 25 robots at launch, this was the largest implementation of autonomous robot food delivery services on a university campus at that time.{{cite press release|url=https://www.sodexousa.com/cms/render/live/en/sites/sdxcom-us/home/media/news-releases/newsListArea/news-releases/starship-technologies.html|title=World's Largest Fleet of Delivery Robots on a University Campus Launched by Sodexo and Starship Technologies| publisher = Sodexo | date = 2019-01-22 |access-date=2019-04-01}}{{cite news |url=https://www2.gmu.edu/news/574036|title=There are robots on campus—here's what you need to know | first = Mary Lee | last = Clark | publisher = George Mason University | date = 2019-01-22 |access-date=2019-04-01}} In 2019, it expanded its services to six other US universities.{{efn| Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Purdue University in West Lafayette, University of Pittsburgh, James Madison University in Virginia, University of Wisconsin in Madison, University of Houston, and University of Texas at Dallas}}{{cite news|url= https://www.dallasnews.com/business/technology/2019/12/26/on-university-of-texas-at-dallas-growing-campus-meal-delivering-robots-make-splashy-debut/ |title=On University of Texas at Dallas' growing campus, meal-delivering robots make splashy debut| first=Melissa | last = Repko | work = The Dallas Morning News | date = 2020-01-06 |access-date=2020-01-08}}

and in 2020 to two more.{{efn| University of Mississippi and Bowling Green State University}}{{cite news |last1= Dewitt |first1= Emily |title=New Food Delivery Robots Generally Well Accepted After First Week |url=https://hottytoddy.com/2020/02/06/new-food-delivery-robots-generally-well-accepted-after-first-week/ |work= HottyToddy.com |access-date=6 March 2020 |date=6 February 2020}}{{cite news |last1=Bratton |first1=Michael |title=Robots roam BGSU as part of incoming food delivery service |url=https://www.13abc.com/content/news/Robots-roam-BGSU-campus-as-part-of-incoming-food-delivery-service-568064451.html | work = 13 ABC |access-date=21 February 2020 | date = 2020-02-20}}{{cite news |title='Hello, I'm a Starship Delivery Robot' — BGSU starts autonomous service |url=https://www.sent-trib.com/news/hello-i-m-a-starship-delivery-robot-bgsu-starts-autonomous/article_d2222ef2-5404-11ea-b75f-b7b772d45a01.html |work = Sentinel-Tribune | date = 2020-02-20 |access-date=21 February 2020}}

In March 2020, following the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Starship made many redundancies. However, half a year later, and after the US universities reopened, it rehired many of the staff.

{{cite news

| url= https://news.err.ee/1070009/starship-technologies-makes-redundancies-to-streamline-service

| title= Starship Technologies makes redundancies to 'streamline service'

| date= 2020-03-28

| work= ERR

| access-date= 2020-06-13}}

{{Cite web|url=https://www.teatmik.ee/et/personlegal/12673365-Starship-Technologies-O%C3%9C|title = Teatmik.ee}}{{Cite web|url=https://digipro.geenius.ee/rubriik/uudis/sokk-ja-solvumine-starshipi-koondatud-tootajate-raakimata-lugu/|title=Šokk ja solvumine: Starshipi koondatud töötajate rääkimata lugu|trans-title=Shock and insult: An untold story of Starship's laid off workers|first=Harry|last=Tuul|work=Geenius|date=2020-06-11|access-date=18 December 2020|url-access=subscription}}

{{cite news

| url= https://arileht.delfi.ee/news/uudised/ahti-heinla-eestis-toimuvast-ma-ei-saa-aru-miks-varavavaht-peaks-oma-meeskonna-rundajale-muda-nakku-loopima?id=91031981

| title= Ahti Heinla Eestis toimuvast: ma ei saa aru, miks väravavaht peaks oma meeskonna ründajale muda näkku loopima

| trans-title= Ahti Heinla about what is happening in Estonia: I do not understand why the goalkeeper should throw mud at the face of his team's attacker

| first = Tanel | last = Saarmann

| date= 2020-09-15

| work= Ärileht

| access-date= 2021-01-05

| url-access=subscription}}

In 2022, a video of a Starship robot being run over by a train at a level crossing near James Madison University campus circulated online, highlighting the possibility of robots being stuck in unanticipated obstacles.{{cite web |last1=Mark |first1=DiPietro |date=15 October 2022 |title=Starship Technologies Paving Way for Robotics in Food Delivery – The Stillman Exchange |url=https://blogs.shu.edu/stillmanexchange/2022/10/15/starship-technologies-paving-way-for-robotics-in-food-delivery/ |access-date=25 March 2024 |website=The Stillman Exchange |publisher=Seton Hall University}}

In 2022, the company announced the launch of delivery services in Finland.{{Cite web |date=21 April 2022 |title=Starship Technologies launches Finland's first robotic food delivery service in Espoo {{!}} Enter Espoo |url=https://www.enterespoo.fi/news/starship-technologies-launches-finlands-first-robotic-food-delivery-service-espoo |access-date=2023-06-14 |website=www.enterespoo.fi |language=en}}

As of October 2024, Starship's fleet of more than 2,000 robots worldwide had completed 7 million deliveries, driven over 8.5 million miles, and made 150,000 daily road crossings.{{Cite web |date=2024-10-15 |title=Starship and Bolt partner to launch robot-powered grocery delivery |url=https://tech.eu/2024/10/15/starship-and-bolt-partner-to-launch-robot-powered-grocery-delivery/ |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=Tech.eu |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |date=2023-06-21 |title=Estonia's Bolt, Starship in food delivery robot deal |url=https://www.reuters.com/markets/deals/estonias-bolt-starship-food-delivery-robot-deal-2023-06-21/ |access-date=2024-12-19 |website=Reuters}}

Operations

Starship develops and operates electrically-powered last mile delivery robots. The robots ride on sidewalks with a maximum speed of {{convert|6|km/h|mph}} (pedestrian speed), can be remotely controlled if autonomous operation fails, and are only used for relatively short-distance local delivery.{{cite news |url=https://money.cnn.com/2015/11/03/technology/starship-delivery-robots/ |title=Forget drones, here come delivery robots | first = Ivana | last = Kottasova |date=3 November 2015 |work= CNN Business | access-date = 2020-06-14}} The robots use feature detection of edges and mapping techniques to determine the suitability of navigable terrain.{{cite news |title=Inside the mind of an autonomous delivery robot |url=https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/how-starship-robots-navigate-world/ | first = Luke | last = Dormehl |work = Digital Trends | date = 26 February 2020 |access-date=6 March 2020}} They weigh {{convert|55|lb|kg}} unloaded, and can carry up to {{convert|20|lb|kg}} of deliveries.{{cite web |title=Starship at BGSU |url=https://new.bgsudining.com/starship-bgsu | publisher = BGSU |access-date=7 March 2020}} Their average battery life is 18 hours, and the typical robot can travel around 40 km per day. The robots are equipped with a sensor suite that includes ten stereo and time-of-flight cameras, GPS, ultrasonic sensors, radar and inertial measurement.{{cite news |date=4 March 2020 |title=Meet UCI's Newest Employees: The Starship Food Delivery Robots |url=https://www.newuniversity.org/2020/03/04/meet-ucis-newest-employees-the-starship-food-delivery-robots/ |access-date=6 March 2020 |work=New University}}{{Cite web |last=Moss |first=Sebastian |date=2021-05-21 |title=Starship Technologies' robots to deliver Costa Coffee in Milton Keynes, UK |url=https://aibusiness.com/verticals/starship-technologies-robots-to-deliver-costa-coffee-in-milton-keynes-uk |access-date=2024-12-19 |website=AI Business}} The robots have loudspeakers to communicate with humans they meet, with a range of optional voices and characters and the ability to play music.{{Cite web |last=Doll |first=Scooter |date=2023-08-24 |title=These autonomous robots deliver students meals while popping wheelies and using unique voices |url=https://electrek.co/2023/08/24/these-autonomous-robots-deliver-students-meals-while-popping-wheelies-and-using-unique-voices/ |access-date=2024-12-19 |website=Electrek |language=en-US}} Users order Starship deliveries using the company's app or through the existing platforms of retail partners.{{Cite web |last=Bellan |first=Rebecca |date=2022-10-11 |title=Starship partners with Grubhub to bring sidewalk bots to colleges |url=https://techcrunch.com/2022/10/11/starship-partners-with-grubhub-to-bring-sidewalk-bots-to-colleges/ |access-date=2024-12-19 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}} Once deliveries arrive, users unlock the robots through biometric identity verification.{{Cite web |date=2022-01-21 |title=Veriff partners with Starship to deliver verification requirements for age-restricted transactions |url=https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/01/21/veriff-starship-technologies/ |access-date=2022-03-09 |website=Help Net Security |language=en-US}}

Before operating commercially the service was tested in over 100 cities and 20 countries around the world.{{cite news |last1=Hawkins |first1=Andrew J. |title=Thousands of autonomous delivery robots are about to descend on US college campuses |url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/8/20/20812184/starship-delivery-robot-expansion-college-campus | work =The Verge |access-date=6 March 2020 |date=20 August 2019}} During the COVID-19 pandemic, Starship expanded the number of delivery robots used for grocery in the UK

{{cite news

| url= https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/20/technology/delivery-robots-coronavirus-milton-keynes.html

| title= A City Locks Down to Fight Coronavirus, but Robots Come and Go

| first = Cade | last = Metz

| date= 2020-05-20

| work= The New York Times

| access-date= 2021-01-05}}

{{cite news

| url= https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-55076342

| title= Robot grocery delivery service expands to Northampton

| date= 2020-11-25

| work= BBC

| access-date= 2021-01-05}} and the US to help with the delivery driver shortage.

{{cite news

| url= https://www.modbee.com/news/business/biz-columns-blogs/biz-beat/article246091850.html

| title= Out of milk? In Modesto, robots can now deliver groceries right to your doorstep

| first = MARIJKE | last = ROWLAND

| date= 2020-11-29

| work= The Modesto Bee

| access-date= 2021-01-05}}

As of October 2024, the company operates in over 100 locations in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Finland and Estonia.

Between 2018 and 2021, Starship Technologies worked with Milton Keynes Council to conduct a study reviewing the impact of zero-emissions robots in cities.{{Cite news |last=Murrer |first=Sally |date=2021-11-08 |title=This is how much energy is saved by our Starship delivery robots here in Milton Keynes |url=https://www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/news/people/this-is-how-much-energy-is-saved-by-our-starship-delivery-robots-here-in-milton-keynes-3449230 |access-date=2022-04-15 |work=Milton Keynes Citizen}} According to the report, Starship's robots "prevented 280,000 car journeys, and over 500,000 miles travelled in cars, leading to 137 tons of CO₂ saved, and 22 kg of NOx saved during the study period".{{Cite web |title=Starship flags environmental impact of delivery robots in Milton Keynes |url=https://retailtechinnovationhub.com/home/2021/11/9/starship-flags-environmental-impact-of-delivery-robots-in-milton-keynes |access-date=2022-04-15 |website=Retail Technology Innovation Hub |language=en-US}}

Economically, Starship's robots are considered to be cheaper than human-staffed delivery services.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}} In 2018, Starship claimed that its robots cost US$5500, and hoped to reduce this to $2250.{{cite web |last=Condliffe |first=Jamie |date=30 January 2018 |title=Why sidewalk delivery robots still need safety drivers |url=https://www.technologyreview.com/2018/01/30/145935/why-sidewalk-delivery-robots-still-need-safety-drivers-too/ |website=MIT Technology Review}}

Corporate matters

The Starship's original headquarters were established in London but were moved to San Francisco in 2018.

{{cite news

| url= https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2018/06/07/robot-maker-starship-san-francisco-hq-ceo-funding.html

| title= Why robot maker Starship Tech beamed its HQ down from London to San Francisco

| first = Alisha | last = Green

| date= 2018-06-07

| newspaper = San Francisco Business Times

| access-date= 2020-06-13

| url-access = subscription}}

In 2014–2018, Allan Martinson served as the chief operating officer of Starship. In 2018, the chief executive officer Ahti Heinla switched to the position of the chief technology officer and Lex Bayer, Airbnb's former head of business development, payments, and Airbnb for business, was hired as the new CEO.

{{cite news

| url= https://www.businessinsider.com/starship-technologies-hires-airbnb-exec-as-ceo-and-raises-25-million-2018-6?r=UK

| title= Robot delivery firm Starship Technologies has hired an Airbnb veteran as its new CEO and raised $25 million

| first = Isobel Asher | last = Hamilton

| date= 2018-06-07

| work= Business Insider

| access-date= 2020-06-14}}

Starship hired Alastair Westgarth, former CEO of Google X company, Loon, as their CEO in June 2021.{{Cite news|url=https://www.starship.co/press_releases/new_ceo/|title=Starship Technologies Appoints New CEO|work=Starship|date=2021-06-01|access-date=29 December 2021}} Westgarth left the company and Heinla returned as chief executive in December 2023.{{Cite web |last=Lunden |first=Ingrid |date=2024-02-06 |title=Starship Technologies raises $90M as its sidewalk robots pass 6M deliveries |url=https://techcrunch.com/2024/02/05/starship-technologies-raises-90m-as-its-sidewalk-robots-pass-6m-deliveries/ |access-date=2024-12-10 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}}

By 2019, Starship had received US$85 million in venture funding.

{{cite news

| url= https://news.err.ee/972412/starship-technologies-plans-campus-expansion-after-40-million-funding-win

| title= Starship Technologies plans campus expansion after $40 million funding win

| date= 2019-08-21

| work= ERR

| access-date= 2020-06-14}}

{{cite news

| url= https://www.businessinsider.com/starship-technologies-raises-40-million-in-series-a-funding-2019-8

| title= Starship Technologies, which builds cute robots to deliver bananas to lazy students, has raised another $40 million

| first = Isobel Asher | last = Hamilton

| date= 2019-08-20

| work= Business Insider

| access-date= 2020-06-14}}

In addition to Janus Friis and Ahti Heinla, other investors include Airbnb co-founder Nathan Blecharczyk, Skype founding engineer Jaan Tallinn, Morpheus Ventures, Shasta Ventures, Matrix Partners, MetaPlanet Holdings, Daimler AG, Grishin Robotics, ZX Ventures, Playfair Capital and others.

{{cite news

| url= https://www.businessinsider.com/starship-technologies-raises-172million-daimler-2017-1

| title= Robot delivery company Starship Technologies raised $17.2 million in a round led by Daimler

| first = Sam | last = Shead

| date= 2017-01-12

| work= Business Insider

| access-date= 2020-06-14}}

In January 2022, Starship received a €50 million investment from the European Investment Bank.{{Cite web |last=Lunden |first=Ingrid |date=2022-01-25 |title=Starship Technologies picks up €50M from the EU's investment arm to expand its fleet of autonomous delivery robots |url=https://techcrunch.com/2022/01/25/starship-technologies-picks-up-e50m-from-the-eus-investment-arm-to-expand-its-fleet-of-autonomous-delivery-robots/ |access-date=2022-01-25 |website=TechCrunch}} In March 2022 the company raised $100 million in investments, bringing total investment raised to $202 million.{{Cite web |date=2022-03-01 |title=Starship brings in $100 million in last 30 days to expand autonomous delivery in Europe and US |url=https://tech.eu/2022/03/01/starship-brings-in-100-million-in-last-30-days-to-expand-autonomous-delivery-in-europe-and-us/ |access-date=2024-11-20 |website=Tech.eu |language=en-GB}}

In February 2024 the company raised $90 million led by Plural and Iconical, bringing equity funding to $230 million and another €50 million long term loan facilities by the European Investment bank in January of 2022.{{Cite web |last=Keane |first=Jonathan |title=Robot Delivery Player Starship Raises $90 Million Round |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathankeane/2024/02/06/robot-delivery-player-starship-raises-90-million-round/ |access-date=2024-11-20 |website=Forbes |language=en}}

Starship also announced a partnership with Veriff in January 2022 to provide authentication and re-verification services for its fleet of autonomous delivery robots in the UK.{{Cite web |date=2022-01-21 |title=Veriff partners with Starship to deliver verification requirements for age-restricted transactions |url=https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/01/21/veriff-starship-technologies/ |access-date=2022-03-17 |website=Help Net Security |language=en-US}} This partnership made Starship the first company to create a fully autonomous end-to-end delivery service for age-restricted items.