A Zipline funding round of $250 million raises the medical drone delivery company’s valuation to $2.75 billion – and will fuel expansion into new geographies and new industries.
Zipline already boasts the world’s largest automated on-demand delivery service. Utilizing specially designed and manufactured aircraft, Zipline has established themselves in developing countries around the world, delivering critical medical supplies to areas without robust road infrastructure. Begininning in Rwanda, Zipline has established working drone delivery at scale – hiring and training local employees and expanding services to cover millions of people and millions of miles.
Now, the latest Zipline funding of $250 million – the largest funding round we’ve yet seen in the drone industry – will enable further expansion “into new industries and geographies, transforming systems like healthcare and commerce with instant logistics.”
Zipline is already operating in the U.S., transporting PPE for covid response in North Carolina, through a partnership with Novant Health; forming agreements in Japan, through a partnership with Toyota Group; and expaning operation in Africa, in Rwanda, Ghana, and Nigeria. Now, the funding press release indicates that the company may plan to expand beyond medical drone delivery into other applications.
“At Zipline, our mission is to create the first logistics company that serves all humans equally. Around the world, our partners are reimagining how patients access care with fast, reliable on-demand delivery,” said Keller Rinaudo, founder and CEO at Zipline. “Together, we have completed hundreds of thousands of deliveries of blood, medicines and vaccines, and today Zipline makes a commercial delivery every four minutes. In the past year, we have seen major growth in every market, including the U.S., and we’re continuing to build on our proven track record and technology to bring instant logistics to more partners, communities and people.”
New investors Fidelity, Intercorp, Emerging Capital Partners and Reinvent Capital participated in the round alongside existing investors including Baillie Gifford, Temasek, and Katalyst Ventures.
“Zipline’s delivery service has transformed national health systems and expanded access to care for millions of people,” said Tom Slater, head of US equities team at Baillie Gifford. “With Zipline, we can imagine a world in which anyone could have access to anything in a matter of minutes. The team has created the first automated logistics infrastructure that can support instant delivery at scale and is now rapidly expanding to serve more people and tap into the surging demand for the service around the world.”
Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.
TWITTER:@spaldingbarker
Subscribe to DroneLife here.