Zipline raises $1.5bn at a $21.5bn valuation as Walmart agrees to add 300 drone delivery sites
TechCrunch says the round was led by Paradigm, WCM and Layer Global, and the new multi-year Walmart deal jumps from today's 21 active sites; Zipline plans to expand US manufacturing, with no timeline given for the 300 sites.
Why it matters
Zipline's autonomous drones have moved from blood deliveries in Rwanda to US retail, and this round prices the company at $21.5 billion while Walmart commits to a network many times larger than today's 21 sites. It lands on the same day Agility listed on Nasdaq, another marker of capital flowing to physical autonomy. Watch the build-out pace, US manufacturing capacity and how regulators handle scaled beyond-line-of-sight flights.
Key facts
- $1.5 billion raised
- $21.5 billion valuation
- Led by Paradigm, WCM and Layer Global
- Walmart to add 300 sites, up from 21 active