Uber has announced a partnership and investment in drone delivery company Zipline, with the aim of using Zipline's drones to make one million deliveries per day on the Uber Eats platform by the end of 2029.
The first Zipline drone deliveries on Uber Eats are expected by the end of this year, starting in Zipline's existing markets. The companies plan to expand to "dozens of U.S. cities." The investment amount was not disclosed.
Uber has been adding multiple drone delivery partners as it seeks growth for Uber Eats. The company previously partnered with Israeli startup Flytrex late last year. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi told the Wall Street Journal that Zipline's drones can fulfill orders within five to ten minutes, and that "truly quick commerce is proving to be an even bigger market than the original food market was."
Zipline, based in San Francisco, recently closed an extended Series H funding round of $800 million, valuing the company at $7.6 billion.