Starship: a success story delivered by everyone’s favourite robots

Starship Technologies is an Estonian company that develops and manages autonomous delivery robots for food and small items. As of 2022, Starship completed more than 3 million autonomous deliveries worldwide and employed over 600 people. 

Combining cutting-edge technology, a network of self-driving robots, and partnerships with several stores and restaurants, Starship makes local delivery faster, more efficient, and more cost-effective.

With their delivery app, users can experience quick delivery that works around their schedules at a lower cost than competitors. In addition, customers can order groceries, food, and parcels directly from the app. 

Their goods will be brought over by the famous Starship robots, which are cute and intelligent autonomous devices capable of transporting items over short distances. Moreover, users can track the entire journey and location of the robots on their smartphones.

Starship robots move at pedestrian speeds and weigh less than 45kg. As a result, they are inherently safe and capable of navigating around objects and people.

To ensure the safety of the order, the cargo bay is mechanically locked throughout the journey and can only be opened using the phone used to place the order. Moreover, customers can receive notifications at the time of arrival.

As a whole, the delivery platform is energy- and cost-efficient and can be used for various tasks. Compared to traditional delivery services, groceries, packages, and food can be delivered for a fraction of the price.

Starship Technologies’ headquarters are in San Francisco, California, and its engineering operations are in Estonia and Finland. Additionally, Starship has offices in the UK, Germany, Washington DC, and Mountain View (California). 

The company raised nearly €100 million in funding from the European Investment Bank and venture investors in early 2022. This money was aimed towards research, development, and 1,700 new robots for the company’s fleet. Since the company’s founding in 2014, it has raised roughly a total of €202 million. 

BIND’s contribution

At the time of our collaboration, Starship’s main goal was to enter the food delivery market on US campuses. For this, they needed an excellent mobile app that could keep up with demands, collect payments, track robots, and offer a good user experience.

Our team assisted in building a React Native-based delivery app that embodied all the critical aspects of the company – modern, safe, intuitive, and reflective of its core values. Consequently, user accessibility and friendliness were at the forefront of the project, in addition to voice commands being supported by the app. The result was the awesome Starship app, now used by satisfied clients worldwide. 

After our mission was complete, Starship’s own team gradually took over support and development. Therefore, our relationship with Starship is a solid example of a successful external partnership. When adequate coding standards are in place and the project is appropriately set up, the transition from the external third party to the internal team is seamless and quick. 

We can make your idea come to life

As self-aware partners, we provide businesses with technical advice and assistance, monitoring and prompt support, and ongoing development. In addition to the agile collaboration, BIND promises a proactive approach to any challenges companies may face during the partnership. Through our partnership, BIND can help your company become its best version to achieve your business goals successfully.