Zipline to Triple Drone Delivery Network with $150M from U.S., Boosted by African Partners
- barboraarendasova
- 22 hours ago
- 3 min read
Zipline, an American robotics company that designs, manufactures, and operates the world’s largest autonomous delivery system, today announced a landmark agreement with the U.S. Department of State to expand its life-saving drone delivery service across Africa – a proven and more affordable way to improve health outcomes. At full scale, the partnership could triple the number of hospitals and health facilities Zipline serves (from 5,000 to 15,000) and provide up to 130 million people with instant access to blood and medications.
Under a new pay-for-performance model — a first-of its kind from the State Department — Zipline will receive up to $150 million to expand its AI and robotics infrastructure that enables African governments to provide 24/7 delivery of essential medical supplies to hospitals and health facilities. As buyers of the service African countries will pay up to $400 million in utilization fees. Funding will be released only when governments sign expansion contracts and commit to pay for ongoing logistics services to ensure long-term sustainability.
“We started Zipline to build a logistics system that serves all people equally. Today the U.S. government is doubling down on our work, and using our AI, robotics and autonomous logistics system to improve health outcomes,” said Keller Rinaudo Cliffton, CEO and Co-Founder of Zipline. “For years presidents and prime ministers have told me they want the best of what America has to offer: innovation, jobs and 21st century technology to leapfrog into the future. That has always been America’s unique value proposition and today, the State Department is making that happen.”
“This partnership is an example of the innovative, results-driven partnership at the core of the America First foreign assistance agenda. With modest U.S. capital investment support, these five countries will become responsible for maintaining and continuing to invest in a transformative American-built health commodities supply chain network,” said Under Secretary of State for Foreign Assistance, Humanitarian Affairs and Religious Freedom Jeremy Lewin. “By strategically deploying assistance resources to catalyze private capital, incentivize local buy-in, and champion American businesses, President Trump’s foreign assistance agenda is bringing developing economies into the 21st century and helping America win the race for the technologies of tomorrow at the same time.”
Scaling Proven Impact Poor logistics hinders the movement of critical goods and services that people need to live and thrive. Zipline’s infrastructure is proven to deliver better health outcomes by solving the root of many public health challenges: slow, unreliable and analog logistics that often leaves blood, medications and supplies out of stock or spoiled.
Since its first delivery in 2016, Zipline’s autonomous logistics system — designed and manufactured in the U.S. — has completed 1.8 million autonomous deliveries with zero safety incidents. With Zipline, hospitals, health facilities, and community health workers have on-demand access to a world-class pharmacy from nearly any location. Independent research shows its impact:
Tens of thousands of lives have been saved through on-demand delivery
Maternal deaths cut by up to 56% in Zipline-supported health facilities
Stockouts of medicine and vaccines reduced by 60% where Zipline delivers
Immunization rates increased 13-37 percentage points in areas where Zipline operates
Zipline was found to be one of the most cost-effective immunization interventions ever studied, measured in incremental cost-effectiveness ratios
In some places where Zipline operates in Africa, the average time between when a health facility places an order to when it is delivered is 13 days. Zipline cut that to under 30 minutes for the facilities it serves in the country.
Since 2016, federal and state ministries of health in Africa have procured and paid for Zipline’s services to achieve health and economic improvements in their countries. This expansion backs these countries’ visions and multiplies the impact of African leaders and their domestic investments.
A New Model for Innovation The partnership with the State Department signals a new era of commercial diplomacy — one that uses U.S. innovation to drive global health and economic development. This is also the State Department’s first award that uses AI, robotics and autonomous logistics to improve health outcomes. Rwanda is expected to be the first country to sign an agreement under this new model.
“African governments are choosing to invest their own resources in Zipline because it works, and it’s incredible value for money. It solves intractable global health challenges like maternal mortality, malnutrition, and under 5 mortality,” said Caitlin Burton, CEO of Zipline’s Africa business. “This award marks a pivotal moment in foreign aid — the U.S. government is backing Africa’s vision, building the infrastructure Africa wants, and accelerating the adoption of American innovation that’s proven to work and recognized as one of the most cost-effective public health interventions ever studied. It will forever change the trajectory of human health and development in Africa.”
Image source: zipline.com
