Zipline raises $1.5B, plans US drone manufacturing expansion

The startup is building out its drone delivery nationwide network and recently inked deals with Uber and Walmart to launch additional sites.

The funding announcement fell on the same day Zipline revealed it signed a multi-year agreement expanding its partnership with retail giant Walmart. The deal will add 300 Zipline drone delivery sites with the potential to add more locations.

Zipline has worked with Walmart since 2021, the retail company said in its own press release. Walmart’s expansion with Zipline is the latest step in Walmart’s ongoing drone delivery efforts, which has resulted in more than 2 million deliveries to date.

Zipline’s home delivery drone was designed in two parts, which allows it to operate quietly by keeping the device about 330 feet above the ground, according to Walmart’s press release. The drone also makes deliveries with a pod that contains the order and descends on a tether.

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