Uber and Zipline announced a strategic Uber Zipline drone delivery pact in an official investor release. First Uber Eats drone drops start later this year. Together the pair aims at one million drone deliveries a day by the end of 2029. Uber will also make a strategic investment in Zipline. The companies did not disclose the size of that check.
First drops land later this year
First deployments start later this year in markets where Zipline already flies. Then the companies plan to expand into dozens of US cities. Customers can receive Uber Eats orders in minutes by drone. Zipline flies the autonomous aircraft. Meanwhile Uber matches each drop to its hybrid network. That network already mixes couriers, sidewalk robots, and drones.
Uber writes a check without naming the number
Uber calls this a long-term partnership. In fact the ride company says it is building a flexible hybrid delivery network. Drones join couriers and sidewalk robots on the same platform. Zipline gets Uber Eats demand from millions of customers. It also reaches hundreds of thousands of small businesses.
CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said Zipline built incredible technology. He said they are shaping the future of delivery with a faster, more sustainable path. Co-founder Keller Cliffton went further. “Teleportation isn’t science fiction anymore,” he said. He added that it is becoming part of everyday life.
What Zipline already flies
Zipline operates on 4 continents. It says it completes a delivery every 20 seconds. The firm has served more than 5000 hospitals. It also says those flights save more than 12000 lives each year. The fleet has flown more than 135 million autonomous miles. Zipline has completed more than two million deliveries. Those deliveries cover more than 20 million items. Finally, the company says US customers can get dinner or daily essentials in 5 to 10 minutes.
This sits next to other last-mile bets TMM has covered. DoorDash just won FAA clearance for in-house Air drones. Amazon is also pushing Amazon Now 30-minute delivery in more US cities. Until Uber names launch cities and prices, the official story is a 2029 scale target. First Uber Eats drone drops still start later this year.
