Starship Technologies Gets $50 Million to Bring Zero-Emission Autonomous Delivery to U.S. Cities

Courtesy: Starship Technologies

Starship Technologies, the world leader in autonomous delivery, has raised $50 million in new funding led by Plural, marking a decisive moment for the company’s push into U.S. urban markets. The round, which also saw participation from Karma.vc, Latitude, Coefficient Capital, SmartCap, and Skaala, brings Starship’s total funding to over $280 million, and positions it as the only autonomous logistics player operating profitably at global scale.

Founded in 2014 by Skype co-founders Ahti Heinla and Janus Friis, Starship has quietly become one of Europe’s most successful climate-tech companies. Its 2,700-strong fleet of delivery robots has completed over 9 million deliveries across seven countries, covering more than 12 million miles. These all-electric vehicles have already prevented over 650 tonnes of CO₂ emissions, proof that decarbonizing the “last mile,” long considered one of the toughest challenges in logistics, is not only possible but commercially viable.

While many competitors remain stuck in pilot phases or rely on human safety drivers, Starship’s robots operate at full commercial scale, making two autonomous road crossings per second. The company’s vast dataset feeds continuous improvements to its routing and AI systems, allowing it to function safely and efficiently in complex environments. Now, Starship plans to grow its fleet to more than 12,000 robots by 2027, expanding from its stronghold in Europe and U.S. university campuses into large American cities.

“Delivery robotics is the next wave of urban logistics,” said Ahti Heinla, co-founder and CEO of Starship Technologies. “We own European urban markets, we own U.S. campuses. Now it’s time to replicate this proven success in American cities. Millions of U.S. consumers will soon experience sub-30-minute delivery by Starship robots as the new standard.”

Courtesy: Starship Technologies

The company’s Level 4 autonomy technology enables true self-driving capability, without the cost overheads that weigh down other models. This technological maturity has translated into a rare achievement in robotics: positive gross margins. In other words, Starship isn’t racing toward viability; it has already reached it.

The startup’s strategic partnerships also show its growing integration into mainstream delivery ecosystems. In the U.S., Starship collaborates with Grubhub, while in Europe, its robots work seamlessly with platforms like Bolt, Wolt (part of DoorDash), and Delivery Hero’s Foodora, making Starship the invisible infrastructure behind many familiar apps.

“Starship has quietly built the most successful autonomous technology company in the world,” said Taavet Hinrikus, Partner at Plural. “They’re already deployed, already profitable, and already changing how goods move through cities. We’ve doubled down on our investment because the team has proven they can scale globally, and the opportunity in American urban markets is enormous.”

With cities grappling with congestion, labor shortages, and rising delivery emissions, Starship’s zero-emission robots present a compelling alternative to vans and scooters that dominate short-distance logistics. Compact and efficient, they move on sidewalks and bike lanes, reshaping what the last mile can look like in the era of urban sustainability.

As e-commerce volumes soar and municipalities set stricter decarbonization targets, Starship’s model offers a tangible path to cleaner, quieter, and more efficient cities. The company’s next challenge will be adapting its European learnings to the fragmented landscape of U.S. municipalities, each with its own infrastructure, regulation, and public perception of automation.

In a world where last-mile delivery remains one of the hardest sectors to decarbonize, Starship’s expanding fleet hints at a future where goods travel the final stretch not in trucks, but in silent, solar-charged robots; one emission-free mile at a time.