Zipline began six years ago by using self-driving electric drones to deliver blood in Rwanda. The logistics and drone delivery startup is now expanding its Rwandan government partnership with the lofty goal of completing nearly 2 million instant deliveries and flying more than 200 million autonomous kilometres in the country by 2029.
The government of Rwanda and Zipline announced Thursday an expanded partnership that will add new delivery sites in rural and urban locations throughout the country — a move that is expected to triple its delivery volume.
The idea is to use the logistics and drone delivery to shore up Rwanda’s healthcare supply chain, address malnutrition and support the country’s eco-tourism industry, according to Rwanda Development Board CEO Clare Akamanzi, who touted this as a “national drone service.”
Medicine, medical supplies, nutrition, and animal health products will now be delivered. It will also provide access to Zipline’s services to any government agency, including the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources, the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, the Rwanda Development Board, Rwanda Medical Supply, and the National Child Development Agency.
The agreement validates Zipline and may persuade other countries to form similar national partnerships. Zipline operates within Ghana, the U.S., Nigeria and Japan and will be launching operations in Côte D’Ivoire and Kenya soon, according to the company. This is the first time a government has tapped Zipline to provide a national drone service.
The company, which was founded in 2014, created the entire ecosystem, including the drones and logistics software, as well as the launch and landing system. Its operations were limited initially, starting in Rwanda with a focus on blood and vaccines and then expanding into Ghana. Over the last year, the company has increased its operational footprint and delivery volume, thanks partly to $250 million in venture capital. (The company has raised $486 million to date.)
Zipline has delivered more than 450,000 packages to date, with 215,000 deliveries occurring this year alone. The company has also snagged a number of partnerships in the past two years that signals aspirations to expand within and beyond healthcare. Zipline has alliances with Toyota Group and UPS, and it provides medical equipment and personal protective equipment to Novant Health in North Carolina, as well as health and wellness products to Walmart.
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