All those years American logistics company Zipline spend in Africa perfecting its delivery drone operations – yet all they were dreaming was home.
Zipline spent ten years building an international logistics network that serves more than 5,000 hospitals and saves more than 12,000 lives each year. Most of those years and hospitals and lives were in Africa – in Rwanda, in Ghana, in Nigeria and in Kenya.
Now the company is bringing this technology and service to the US to deliver anything people need in within ten minutes. And Uber has plenty of those.
An elated Zipline announced that it was partnering with ride hailing services company Uber to add Zipline’s drones as a delivery option for food items ordered through Uber Eats.
“Today we are taking one of the biggest steps toward expanding Zipline’s service to every home in the US,” the company said in a statement.
“Zipline is partnering with Uber to offer drone delivery across America.
“Uber built the world's largest on-demand transportation and delivery platform. Zipline built the world's largest drone delivery service. This partnership combines the superpowers of both companies – offering Zipline’s quiet, ultra-fast, precise delivery to millions of Uber customers and hundreds of thousands of local favourites.
“It accelerates Zipline’s national expansion. Our goal is for millions of people to be able to order lunch, dinner, snacks and more through the Uber Eats app and have them delivered by Zipline in minutes.”
Perhaps it was just a matter of time before Zipline got into Uber’s line of sight for its food delivery business. Just like when Uber did when the worked out the math and came up with ride hailing as a solution to people’s transport needs, Zipline learned of the 5.5 billion deliveries made in the US every year and wanted in on the cut.
As yet, they have bagged the contracts of over 100 small businesses, Intermountain Health, Chipotle, Little Caesars, and Panera Bread.
The jewels in that crown look to be retailer Walmart, and now Uber Eats.
The two partners will start operations across markets where Zipline already has established bases, such as Dallas and Houston, and will expand in new places where Zipline adds service.
“Zipline and Uber plan to make one million deliveries a day, and have goals to expand far beyond that,” the company statement added.
And it looks like Uber is so confident in its belief that drone logistics will soon become part of daily life in the US that it will be making a strategic investment into.
The financial details have so far been kept private.
“Teleportation isn't science fiction anymore," said Zipline Co-Founder and CEO Keller Cliffton.
“It's becoming part of everyday life. Every great transportation revolution has changed where people live, how businesses operate, and how economies grow.
“Together with Uber, we're taking the next step toward building a world where getting what you need is as fast and effortless as sending a text, no matter where you are.”
While Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said; “Zipline has built incredible technology, and Uber connects many millions of people with local merchants every day.
“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."
Zipline’s future plans include scaling its operations to major cities across the US, serving restaurants in ways that ensures consumers consumers get a safer, faster, more convenient experience.