Drone delivery leader recruits senior operators from Tesla, Waymo and Uber as its marketplace grows 13-fold in the first half of 2026.
Zipline announced July 13, 2026, the next phase of its U.S. expansion, including upcoming launches in Cleveland and Austin, new leadership hires from Tesla, Waymo and Uber, and a 13-fold increase in the number of businesses offering delivery through the Zipline app during the first half of 2026. The South San Francisco company says it has completed more than 2.5 million commercial deliveries, including its one-millionth delivery milestone reached in 2024, and now operates more flights per day than major U.S. airlines. Roughly 70 percent of Zipline flights take place in the United States, and every flight is fully autonomous under FAA BVLOS authorization.
First U.S. healthcare home delivery with Cleveland Clinic
In July, Zipline will launch its first U.S. healthcare home delivery service with Cleveland Clinic, beginning in the Beachwood suburb of Cleveland. According to Zipline, eligible patients can opt in to receive certain prescription deliveries at home at no additional cost. The program will expand over time to include lab samples, medically tailored meals, medical and surgical supplies, and hospital-at-home materials moved between Cleveland Clinic facilities. The launch builds on the home delivery platform Zipline unveiled in 2023.
In the coming months, Zipline will launch in Austin, where customers can order food and retail deliveries from local businesses in as little as five minutes through the Zipline app.
Marketplace grows 13-fold in six months
The Zipline app now includes national brands such as Chipotle alongside local favorites including Anothai Cuisine in Houston and Amelia’s Cocina Mexicana in Rowlett. Wonder recently announced it will use Zipline delivery at 50 upcoming Texas food halls, and Little Caesars is expanding delivery from five locations to 65 in the coming months. The consumer marketplace expansion complements Zipline’s ongoing retail rollout with Walmart in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, which the two companies have continued to expand across Texas. New businesses are signing up every week, according to the company.
Three new executives to scale operations
Sendil Palani joins as chief financial officer after 17 years at Tesla, where he most recently served as vice president of finance. He joined Tesla when the company produced just one vehicle per day and helped guide its growth, financials and global expansion.
Kevin Vosen joins as chief legal officer after nearly seven years as chief legal officer at Waymo. He most recently served as chief administrative and legal officer at Ohalo.
Allen Penn joins as head of commercial. He previously helped grow Uber from 25 employees to more than 25,000, led its expansion across Asia and ran global operations at Uber Eats. Penn now leads commercial strategy and execution.
“Zipline has an incredibly talented team working toward an inspiring mission. This is a special opportunity to help save and improve lives globally, while reducing cost and energy use at scale,” Palani said. “I am excited to join at such a transformational moment, given the strong foundation the team has built, and the tremendous momentum behind its new products, partnerships, and growth.”
“Zipline is solving complex problems with meaningful real-world impact and the company is at a unique point in its journey,” Vosen said. “Zipline’s next chapter is about making its experience accessible to communities worldwide while continuing our track record of safe, trusted operations.”
A decade of results
Zipline says it has now saved more than 60,000 lives, with medical deliveries currently helping save more than 12,000 lives per year. The company cites a 22 percent reduction in childhood deaths from severe malnutrition and a 51 percent reduction in maternal mortality in areas it serves. Zipline reports more than 135 million commercial autonomous miles flown and 20 million items delivered without a safety incident. Some Zipline aircraft have now flown more than one million miles, compared with roughly 150,000 miles for an average U.S. car over its lifetime. The P2 home-delivery platform anchors the current network.
More information is available at Zipline.
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