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Startups·2 min read

PORT raises €14.5M to move from e-bikes to autonomous robots

UK urban logistics firm PORT has raised €14.5 million led by the EBRD and Balnord to build an AI Driver and autonomous delivery vehicles on its e-bike network.

A delivery courier on an electric bike picks up a charged e-bike at an urban microhub run by PORT in London.
Image: Tech.eu

UK urban logistics company PORT has raised €14.5 million in a round led by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Balnord, with existing and new investors also taking part. The financing mixes equity and debt and lifts the company's total funding to €29 million, after €14.5 million raised earlier in pre-seed and seed rounds.

Infrastructure first, robots second

Founded in 2020 and led by CEO Kamil Suda, PORT runs microhubs and charging stations that let delivery couriers rent e-bikes on subscription instead of buying and maintaining their own. The platform serves more than 50,000 couriers and a fleet of about 3,500 e-bikes. It operates 24 microhubs in London, Manchester and Birmingham, covering roughly 52,000 square feet in underground car parks, warehouses and railway arches.

On top of that network, the company is building a proprietary AI Driver and autonomous delivery vehicles for last-mile logistics. Some of its e-bikes carry NVIDIA-powered cameras and lidar sensors that record real conditions on London's streets, from kerbs and cyclists to delivery drop-offs and rarer situations. When the bikes return to a hub, the data is uploaded automatically and used to train the AI Driver.

"We believe robotised logistics does not start with the robot; it starts with the infrastructure, operations and data required to put robotics to work in the real world," Suda said. He added that the company is now focused on the physical AI and robotics that will run on that foundation.

What comes next

PORT has also added parcel delivery by cargo bike, pitched as a more sustainable alternative to diesel vans. It is preparing the next stage of its autonomous work with Royal Mail, centred on a new robotic delivery system that builds on its existing hubs and vehicle development.

The new money will go towards the AI Driver, the autonomous vehicles and the wider autonomous logistics offering. PORT also plans to speed up hiring in research and development and in its AI teams.

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Tags:porturban logisticsebrdautonomous deliverye-bikesroyal mail

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