Estonian delivery robots to hit streets of Yorkshire this winter
This December, Estonian food delivery robots are set to become an even more regular site on the streets of Yorkshire. Estonian company Starship Technologies has teamed up with Uber Eats to roll out the delivery robots in Leeds before expanding to Sheffield.
According to a report by Leeds news outlet The Yorkshire Evening Post, the delivery robots will be delivering food it customers in the Headingley, Hyde Park and Woodhouse areas of the city.
Hospitality industry magazine The Caterer confirmed that the Starship Technologies robots will be rolled in Leeds from December, before expanding to another Yorkshire city – Sheffield.
Sarfraz Maredia, global head of autonomous at Uber, said autonomous delivery was "an exciting part of how we see the future of Uber Eats," The Caterer reported.
Starship was founded in 2014 by Ahti Heinla and Janus Friis, who previously founded Skype.
According to The Caterer, Starship's partnership with Uber Eats is also set to expand to other European countries in 2026 and then the United States in 2027.
In 2022, another local news outlet, the Yorkshire Post, reported that Starship delivery robots were already being trialed at two Co-op supermarkets in Leeds.
At that time, a representative of Leeds City Council said, one of the aims of introducing the robots was to provide alternative options for those in the city with mobility problems, which make it challenging for them to access local facilities.
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Editor: Michael Cole
