California Drone Operator Zipline Raises $250 Million
The pandemic has kickstarted demand for the startup’s medical delivery services in Africa.
Zipline offers drone delivery of medicine and other supplies to rural hospitals and clinics.
Source: Zipline Inc.
Drone delivery startup Zipline Inc. announced today that it has raised $250 million to expand its operations in Africa and the United States. The funding follows a surge in demand for Zipline’s services in Ghana and Rwanda, where it delivers medicine and other supplies to rural hospitals and clinics.
As traditional supply chains broke down during the pandemic, many healthcare providers relied on the company’s drones to fill the gaps, according to Zipline co-founder and chief executive officer Keller Rinaudo. “Covid has significantly accelerated all of our timelines,” said Rinaudo. “As more and more health systems were betting on us, we were realizing that the opportunity is bigger and we need to be making big investments.”