Starship: a pavement delivery robot that left college campuses for grocery delivery

Starship is a six-wheeled robot that carries food and groceries along the pavement. It spread across US college campuses, but in June 2026 the company decided to leave its campus business.

A six-wheeled box on the pavement

Starship is the delivery robot of a company founded by Skype co-founders Ahti Heinla and Janus Friis. A knee-high box on six wheels travels along the pavement at 6 km/h. It watches the way with ultrasonic sensors, radar and cameras, and only the customer can open the lid from an app. It began neighbourhood delivery in Milton Keynes, England, in 2018.

Robots multiplied on campus

George Mason University became the first campus in January 2019. Twenty-five robots delivered food from campus dining for $1.99 a trip. Campuses suited the robot: connected pavements and clear peaks in ordering. In October 2025, raising $50 million, the company said it had more than 2,700 robots, more than 9 million deliveries and more than 60 US campuses. In its own survey, 97% of students were satisfied.

The company closed the campus business

On 4 June 2026 the company announced it would wind down US campus operations and move more than 1,200 robots to grocery and food delivery. Heinla said: “We’ve made the decision to wind down our U.S. campus operations.” The announcement spoke of a transition through 2026–27, yet Notre Dame’s 50 robots left in June, and those at Miami University and Missouri State in July and August. The change came from the company’s business direction, not from students or universities.

An end set by the business, not the users

On campus the robots became part of daily life, and the company reported high satisfaction. Even so, they left because of the company’s business judgement, not because of users. Campus dining services lost a delivery channel at short notice.

If a robot can leave even when users are satisfied, where is that decision made?

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