From Skype to Delivery Robots

Interview with co-founder of Starship Technologies Athi Heinla

Key Points

• Ahti’s early start in programming and how it influenced his long-term approach to building technology
• Key lessons from Skype that directly shaped how he built and scaled Starship
• Why last-mile delivery stood out as a high-impact, unsolved problem worth tackling
• How autonomous delivery is reshaping (not simply replacing) jobs in the logistics ecosystem
• The balance between innovation and regulation when deploying robots in public spaces
• Ahti’s vision of future cities where autonomous delivery is seamlessly integrated into daily life