INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Starship Technologies has launched a robot food delivery service in Tempe, Ariz., as part of the autonomous delivery startup expansion
plans following a $40 million funding round announced last August.
Starship Technologies, which was launched in 2014 by Skype co-founders
Ahti Heinla and Janus Friis, has been ramping up commercial services in the past year, including a plan to expand to 100 universities by
late summer 2021.
Now, with the COVID-19 pandemic forcing traditional restaurants to close and placing more pressure on gig economy workers,
Starship Technologies has an opportunity to accelerate that growth.
Tempe isn&t the only new areas added amid the COVID-19 pandemic
Starship added a grocery delivery service in Washington, D.C in late March and expanded to Irvine, Calif
It also expanded its service area in Milton Keynes, U.K., where it has been operating since 2018
The company said it plans to add more cities in the coming weeks.
&The demand for contactless delivery has expanded exponentially in recent
weeks,& Ryan Tuohy, who heads up business development at Starship Technologies, said in a statement
&We&re looking forward to serving the Tempe community as more people are looking for ways to support local businesses while spending more
Our robots are doing autonomous deliveries in five countries and we&re grateful that our robots can make life a little bit easier for
everyone.&
The autonomous robots, which can carry up to 20 pounds, could find a new customer base as people seek ways to get groceries and
food without having to visit in person
Users place their order via the Starship Deliveries app and drop a pin where they want the delivery sent
The robot progress can be watched via an interactive map
Once the robot arrives, users receive an alert, and can then meet and unlock it through the app
The robots, which can cross streets, climb curbs, travel at night and operate in both rain and snow, are monitored remotely by Starship
Human operators can take control of the robots if needed.
In Tempe, the delivery service will initially employ more than 30 autonomous,
on-demand robots between 10:30 a.m
daily in a geofenced area that includes several restaurants and a residential area
The service area is located about two miles from Arizona State University
Local residents are able to use the app to order from three restaurants, including Fate Brewing Company, Tempe City Tacos and Venezia Pizza
of &Breaking Bad& fame.
Starship Technologies said it will expand the Tempe service area and add more restaurants and grocery stores
soon.
And while COVID-19 has caused universities to close, Starship said it is continuing delivery services on multiple college campuses
where international and grad students are residing.
Starship Technologies CEO Lex Bayer on focus and opportunity in autonomous delivery
