American robotics company Zipline has surpassed two million commercial deliveries and has raised more than US$600m in funding that will be used to expand its drone delivery operations to Houston and Phoenix in early 2026, followed by more urban centers later in the year.
According to Zipline, it has seen 15% week-over-week growth in the US over the past seven months, highlighting the demand for autonomous on-demand drone delivery in the country.
“Autonomous logistics has been maturing for more than a decade, and the last year has made it unmistakably clear that when deliveries are faster, cleaner, safer and cheaper, demand isn’t just high, it grows exponentially,” said Keller Cliffton, CEO and co-founder of Zipline.
“In 2026 autonomous logistics will become an everyday staple for people across several states in the US. That transformation starts with Houston and my home town of Phoenix, which we’ll begin serving early this year, and then expand to even more places across the country throughout the year.”
The US$600m funding includes participation from several existing and new investors, including Fidelity Management & Research Company, Baillie Gifford, Valor Equity Partners and Tiger Global. Zipline will use the funds to accelerate its expansion into at least four new states this year.
“In the next 5-10 years, deliveries made by autonomous aircraft will become standard. That revolution is going to be led by Zipline,” said Antonio Gracias, founder, CEO and chief investment officer of Valor Equity Partners. “There’s no better team, company and product positioned to lead the charge than Zipline.”
To date, Zipline’s zero-emission aircraft have flown more than 125 million autonomous commercial miles, delivering more than 20 million items.
In related news, Pos Malaysia launches the country’s first autonomous delivery vehicle