Key Takeaways
- Starship Technologies and Bolt are launching a food delivery service using autonomous robots in Tallinn, Estonia.
- The robots can transport groceries within a 3-kilometer radius, and customers can access the service via the Bolt Food app.
- Both companies plan to expand the service beyond Tallinn but have not yet announced a timeline for that expansion.
New Food Delivery Service in Tallinn
Starship Technologies, renowned for its sidewalk robotic deliveries, has announced a partnership with Bolt, a European multi-platform delivery service, to introduce a new food delivery adventure in Tallinn, Estonia. This initiative targets the city’s 180,000 residents and aims to enhance the overall delivery experience through the use of Starship’s autonomous robots.
The robots will operate from three designated locations—Tulika, Pallasti, and Mustika—using the Bolt Food app for customer interactions. As an introduction to the service, customers will have the opportunity to use it for free during the launch period; however, specific costs for the service after this period have not been revealed.
Equipped to carry up to three bags of groceries, Starship’s robots can efficiently operate within a radius of 3 kilometers. When using the service, Bolt customers can select “robot delivery” via the app, meet the robot at their location, and unlock it through the app to retrieve their items.
Ahti Heinla, co-founder of Starship Technologies and Skype alum, emphasized that this partnership signifies more than mere convenience. “Integrating our robots into Bolt’s service offers a scalable, sustainable delivery solution that reduces traffic and emissions. This is an exciting step forward toward greener cities across Europe,” he stated.
Starship has a strong foundation in the robotic delivery market, being the first to launch a sidewalk delivery robot a decade ago. To date, the company has achieved over 7 million deliveries globally while traveling more than 14 million kilometers across 100 locations worldwide. Operating with Level 4 autonomy since 2018, Starship’s robots are currently conducting an impressive 150,000 crossings daily.
Plans for future expansion beyond Tallinn are on the horizon, although specific details regarding timing remain undisclosed. This announcement follows the recent achievement of Starship becoming the first sidewalk delivery platform to receive approval for operations in Minneapolis, where it has started delivering from popular eateries like Panda Express, Starbucks, and Erbert & Gerbert’s.
With the launch in Tallinn, Starship and Bolt aim to set a precedent for convenient, eco-friendly delivery services that cater to today’s consumption demands while also fostering sustainable urban living.
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