Rwandan drone company, Zipline, has increased its valuation to $2.7 billion by raising $250 million in new equity financing. This move enables the company to continue the advancement of its integrated services such as the autonomy platform it runs, aircraft, fulfilment systems, and operations.
For a company that is arguably the world’s largest drone delivery service for medical supplies, the funding will also represent a boost in continued expansion into new industries and geographies, transforming systems like healthcare and commerce with instant logistics.
The Founder and Chief Executive of Zipline, Keller Rinaudo, has noted that the Organization is keen on building on the growth it registered during the previous year, using the technology to bring instant logistics to more partners, communities, and people.
“Around the world, our partners are reimagining how patients access care with fast, reliable, on-demand delivery. Together, we have completed hundreds of thousands of deliveries of blood, medicines and vaccines, and today Zipline makes a commercial delivery every four minutes” he said.
Zipline was founded in Rwanda and commenced operations in 2016, following a partnership with the Government to commence what was then the first national-scale commercial drone delivery. The Organization’s impact in the past year featuring major adjustments to its operation includes providing 24/7 autonomous delivery service in Rwanda, entering a partnership with Toyota Group to break into the Japanese market, and a partnership with Pfizer to design and test delivery for COVID-19 vaccines.
