Manna Aero Expands to US
Manna Aero, an Ireland-based autonomous drone delivery startup, is expanding to the US with a new operations and manufacturing center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, aiming to employ 1,000 people and compete with major players like Zipline and Amazon
Key points
- Manna Aero, founded by CEO Bobby Healy, has raised $50 million in venture capital to fuel its US expansion
- The company is setting up a US operations and manufacturing center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with construction underway and manufacturing expected to begin in about a year
- Manna plans to scale its operations team to 200-300 people in the next 12 months and assess six other US cities for potential expansion by the end of 2027
- The company operates autonomous, remotely monitored drones that lower packages on a tether, with a hybrid business model including delivery-as-a-service and partnerships with food delivery companies
- Manna aims to become a major US drone delivery operator, competing with Zipline, Amazon, and Google's Wing, citing the large US market and consolidated food delivery industry
- The expansion is seen as a significant move in the evolving drone delivery market, with major players like Amazon and Walmart already investing in the technology
Manna Aero, an Ireland-based autonomous drone delivery startup, is making a significant move into the US market with the establishment of a new operations and manufacturing center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The company, founded by CEO Bobby Healy, has raised $50 million in venture capital to fuel its expansion plans. The new center will employ around 1,000 people over the next several years, with construction already underway and manufacturing expected to begin in about a year. In the meantime, Manna will focus on scaling its operations team to around 200-300 people in the next 12 months. Manna's drones are autonomous and remotely monitored, lowering packages on a tether rather than landing. The company has a hybrid business model, offering delivery-as-a-service and partnering with food delivery companies like DoorDash and Uber Eats. The US expansion is seen as a major move in the evolving drone delivery market, with Manna aiming to compete with established players like Zipline, Amazon, and Google's Wing. The company's CEO, Bobby Healy, cites the large US market and the consolidated food delivery industry as key factors in the decision to expand.
Sources
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