Co-op x Starship Technologies

Co-op (The Co-operative Group) is a British consumer co-operative and food retailer headquartered in Manchester, UK, with roots in the Rochdale Pioneers of 1844. The company operates over 2,400 food stores and funeral homes, and is a deployment partner of [Starship](/companies/starship) Technologies for autonomous robot grocery delivery in Greater Manchester and other UK cities. With annual revenue of £11.3 billion, Co-op is one of the UK's largest food retailers.

Autonomous delivery vehicle company founded in 2014 by Skype co-founders Ahti Heinla (CEO) and Janus Friis. [Starship](/companies/starship) Technologies developed the world's first autonomous sidewalk delivery robot, completing over 8 million autonomous deliveries across 50+ US college campuses and cities. Raised $50M Series C in October 2025, bringing total funding to $80M+. The fleet of 2,700+ robots operates at Level 4 autonomy (99% autonomous) for Uber Eats and campus delivery. Originally founded in Estonia, now HQ in San Francisco.