Starship Technologies has closed US$40m in Series A funding and will use the money to rapidly expand its service to 100 university campuses in the next 24 months. The company is working with the University of Pittsburgh and Sodexo in anticipation of a launch in this autumn, while Purdue University, Indiana is launching on September 9, with more following shortly.
Starship Technologies operates commercially on a daily basis around the world and its zero-emission robots have traveled more than 350,000 miles, crossed four million streets, and have just marked the milestone of completing 100,000 autonomous deliveries.
“This new investment will see Starship expand onto more campuses as we head toward a goal of offering our service to over one million students,” said Lex Bayer, CEO of Starship Technologies. “An entire generation of university students are growing up in a world where they expect to receive a delivery from a robot after a few taps on their smartphone. The reception to our service both on campuses and in neighborhoods has been phenomenal. Our customers appreciate how we make their lives easier and give them back the gift of time.”
In addition to university campuses, Starship also delivers groceries and packages in neighborhoods and a range of items on corporate campuses around the globe. The company has also played a role in helping to bring legislation allowing delivery robots to operate on sidewalks across nine US states, the District of Columbia and several countries.