Drone delivery firm Zipline raises USD 1.5 billion to grow its US network
US drone delivery company Zipline has raised USD 1.5 billion in funding. The money will go toward expanding manufacturing and hiring as it builds a nationwide delivery network.
Zipline, a company that delivers goods by drone, has raised USD 1.5 billion in a new funding round. It plans to use the money to expand its manufacturing facilities in the United States and grow its workforce as it works toward a nationwide drone delivery network.
The round was led by investment firms Paradigm, WCM Investment Management and Layer Global. Other participants included Valor Equity Partners, Fidelity Management & Research Company, ride-hailing and delivery platform Uber, Tiger Global, J.P. Morgan, asset manager ARK Invest and Salesforce Ventures.
Walmart and Uber partnerships
Under a new national multi-year agreement, retailer Walmart and Zipline are currently working to launch 300 additional sites. Uber, for its part, is aiming for one million deliveries a day together with Zipline by 2029.
Current figures and new technology
Zipline says that more than one million drone deliveries were made this year in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex alone. The company recently introduced an acoustics upgrade intended to make drone flights quieter, faster and more energy efficient.
It has also unveiled its latest aircraft, designed to fly higher and more quietly while carrying heavier orders over longer distances.