Today, Monday is quite glorious inside Uber’s boardroom, especially since it has revealed its newest partnership with Zipline for drones across the United States. The last few weeks were drone week, and this is definitely an eye-turner!
The details of the team-up is quite simple. With this partnership, as Uber can’t do it alone, the companies will aim to reach a million drone deliveries daily by the end of 2029, and you won’t require to seach for opportunities, wait longer, since the first deliveries start later this year.
It will reportedly launch first in the existing USA markets of Zipline before expanding to dozens of other cities.
If you are curious how much is inside this deal, sadly, even the Ridesharing Forum team did not get official statements coming from the Uber company, as with other ridesharing media and mainstream news outlets looking for the details of the finances of this tie-up.
However, Uber officially confirmed these reports on its newsroom, saying, “The first deployments will begin later this year, where Uber Eats customers will have the option to receive their orders in minutes via Zipline’s autonomous drone delivery. Uber will also make a strategic investment in Zipline and, together, the companies aim to reach one million drone deliveries per day by the end of 2029.”
Zipline is a robotics and autonomous logistics company in the USA known for creating the world’s largest commercial drone delivery network. Founded over a decade ago, Zipline designs, manufactures, and operates electric autonomous aircraft – they call “Zips” – that deliver medical supplies, groceries, food and retail goods quickly and with zero emissions. Yes, zero emissions.
The company currently operates in four continents, and has made around two million deliveries thus far. It was most recently valued at $7.6 billion after raising $800 million earlier this year. So, if these figures are enough for you to predict the financial value of the deal, then go!
This deal of Uber Eats with Zipline is similar to its tie-up with its mother company, Uber, and the drone firm Flytrex last year, which also involves a financial investment, as with most deals do.
Also, at present, thank you to its dealings, Zipline has been expanding its footprint in this North American country, with commercial partners like Walmart, and more than a dozen restaurant brands, such as Chipotle, Panera, and so much more.
“Zipline has built incredible technology, and Uber connects many millions of people with local merchants every day,” stated Dara Khosrowshahi, the CEO of Uber. “Together, we’re shaping the future of delivery by creating a faster, more sustainable way for people to get what they need. We look forward to bringing this technology to more communities and making autonomous delivery part of everyday life.”
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