Manna Aero's bold expansion plans for the US market are set to lift off with a significant investment in a new manufacturing hub in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Ireland-based autonomous drone delivery startup has announced that it will establish a major operations and manufacturing facility in the city, creating around 1,000 jobs over the coming years.
The £40 million investment follows a successful funding round in April, which secured $50 million (£38 million) in venture capital for the startup. Manna Aero's ambition is to become a leading drone delivery operator in the US, competing directly with established players such as Amazon, Google's Wing, and Zipline.
The company plans to scale its operations team to between 200 and 300 individuals over the next year, with further hiring at the factory contingent on growth rates in other US cities currently under assessment. Manna aims to enter these additional markets by late 2027. Mr Healy highlighted the immense potential of the US market, citing its size, consumer behaviour, and the efficient consolidation of the delivery market by aggregators like DoorDash and Uber Eats as primary drivers for the expansion.
Despite concerns about UK drone regulation, Manna's decision to invest heavily in the US underscores the country's favourable regulatory environment. The company will maintain its headquarters in Ireland, where its research and development, administrative functions, and existing manufacturing operations are based. However, Manna recently ceased its drone delivery services within Ireland due to a perceived lack of planning regulations that would facilitate scalable operations.
The company has appointed former Ryanair CMO Kenny Jacobs as its executive chair and president to spearhead this ambitious US expansion. Mr Healy credited policies from the previous US administration and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for providing a "turbo boost" to the drone delivery industry, fostering an environment ripe for investment.