Drone deliveries are moving closer to becoming a regular part of food delivery in the United States. Uber Technologies and Zipline have announced a partnership to bring autonomous drone delivery to Uber Eats customers across the country.
The partnership also includes a strategic investment by Uber in Zipline. The companies aim to scale the service to 1 million drone deliveries per day by the end of 2029, with the first deliveries expected to begin later this year.
The service will initially launch in Zipline’s existing US markets before expanding to dozens of additional cities.
Uber has not disclosed the financial details of its investment in Zipline.
Zipline currently operates across 4 continents and has completed 2 million deliveries so far. The company was most recently valued at $7.6 billion after raising $800 million earlier this year.
The agreement is similar to Uber’s partnership with drone delivery company Flytrex last year, which also included an investment.
Zipline has been expanding its presence in the US through partnerships with major commercial brands. Its partners include Walmart and more than 12 restaurant brands, including Panera, Chipotle and Wendy’s.
The new agreement gives Uber another route to expand autonomous delivery while allowing Zipline to increase the reach of its drone network across US markets.
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