Estonian firms Bolt and Starship Technologies have launched an autonomous grocery delivery service in the country's capital, Tallinn.
A 'first of its kind' in Europe, the rollout is part of a commercial partnership between food delivery startup, Bolt, and autonomous delivery services provider, Starship.
Ahti Heinla, co-founder and CEO of Starship Technologies, commented, “This collaboration is not just about convenience and greater 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.”
The service will be available to more than 180,000 residents via the Bolt Food app from three Bolt Market stores in Tallinn.
Autonomous Deliveries
Robot deliveries will be free to customers during the launch period, the food delivery firm noted.
Through this initiative, the partners seek to offer customers a more flexible, sustainable and cost-effective delivery option over the last mile, freeing up couriers to deliver orders over longer distances.
Jevgeni Kabanov, president of Bolt, added, “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. With this delivery technology now available, we provide more options for them and enable even more choice and convenience for our shared customers.”
