Ride-hailing firm Bolt is expanding its offerings by joining forces with fellow Estonian tech start-up Starship Technologies to launch a new autonomous delivery food service. In a press release, the two start-ups said they hoped the combination of Starship’s last-mile delivery robots and Bolt’s expansion into delivery tech would “shape the future of urban mobility […]
Ride-hailing firm Bolt is expanding its offerings by joining forces with fellow Estonian tech start-up Starship Technologies to launch a new autonomous delivery food service.
In a press release, the two start-ups said they hoped the combination of Starship’s last-mile delivery robots and Bolt’s expansion into delivery tech would “shape the future of urban mobility across Europe”.
Starship was co-founded by Ahti Heinla, chief architect of Skype, and Janus Friis, another Skype co-founder.
The first fruit of a commercial partnership agreed upon between the two tech firms last year, the new delivery service is offered to over 180,000 Tallinn residents via the Bolt Food app from three Bolt Market stores in the region.
The firms added that robot deliveries will be free to customers during the launch period.
Starship claimed that its robots have completed 7 million deliveries and driven over 8.5 million miles, which it says is more than any other autonomous delivery provider.
The robotics company is also keen to promote its eco credentials, claiming that its average electrically powered robot delivery consumes “as little energy as it takes to boil a kettle to make just one cup of tea”.
Starship robots have been operating at L4 autonomy (which means that they can self-drive in most [but not all] situations without a human driver) since 2018 and can be found in more than 100 locations around the world.
Speaking on its launch date, Heinla emphasised that the collaboration was about sustainability as much as it was about convenience and choice.
“By integrating our robots into the Bolt Food app, we’re offering a sustainable, scalable last-mile delivery solution that reduces local traffic and emissions. It’s an exciting step forward for both companies as we continue to innovate and pave the way for greener cities across Europe,” he said.
According to Bolt president Jevgeni Kabanov, the partnership was a proud moment for Estonian tech.
“With the launch of Starship Technologies robot deliveries in Tallinn we now provide a new delivery experience for Bolt Market customers. It’s a reflection of our shared roots with Starship in Estonian innovation, and we’re proud to bring that experience to power our Bolt Market grocery stores with innovative technology.”
The service officially launched today with a special event held at Bolt’s headquarters in Tallinn.
Read more: CES2023 perspectives: The delivery bots picking up where Amazon and DHL dropped off
