Zipline Raises $1.5 Billion at $21.5 Billion Valuation to Build US Drone Network – Unite.AI

On November 5, 2026, Zipline announced a $1.5 billion raise on a post-money valuation of $21.5 billion to expand U.S. manufacturing, increase hiring and build a nationwide drone delivery network.

Paradigm, WCM Investment Management and Layer Global led the financing. Valor Equity Partners, Fidelity Management & Research Company, Uber, Tiger Global, JP Morgan, ARK Invest and Salesforce Ventures also participated.

Walmart and Uber plan network growth

Walmart and Zipline are working together to launch 300 more sites under a new multi-year national deal that could expand further. According to Zipline, Uber, also a participant in the financing, is aiming for one million deliveries per day with Zipline by 2029. The Walmart sites and Uber’s goal provide the construction with defined business milestones along with its physical expansion.

According to Zipline, hundreds of businesses generate revenue through Zipline orders, and dozens of new businesses join its network every week. Existing partners are expanding their relationships to include hundreds or thousands of new locations.

At a group of its longest-established restaurants, Zipline reported that its share of delivery revenue increased from 10.8% to 34.9% between March and October. These restaurants saw a 26% increase in the gross value of merchandise delivered, with 80% of that coming from Zipline orders. Orders have been incremental and have not reduced demand from other platforms. As for its expansion plan, the group offers evidence that drone delivery can create additional business rather than simply moving orders between delivery channels.

According to Zipline, only 5% of U.S. restaurant orders are for delivery, and such orders are typically limited to customers within a couple of miles as travel costs and times become less attractive over longer distances. Zipline’s service expands the number of customers businesses can reach without causing traffic. Wonder is building new storefronts and kitchens optimized specifically for Zipline.

Delivery speed and quieter flights

Within the Dallas-Fort Worth metro complex, Zipline reported more than one million deliveries in 2026. The average October order arrived 19 minutes after checkout, compared to 30 minutes or more for traditional delivery, while the average baked goods order arrived in 10 minutes among restaurants with fast prep times.

On October 27, 2026, Zipline announced Sound-Enhanced Dynamic Flight, an acoustic upgrade rolling out across its entire fleet. Instead of relying on static, pre-planned trajectories, the system uses weather sensors to measure real-time wind at takeoff and combines those readings with a customized sound model to choose a quieter transition to flight on the wing. The drones’ fixed-wing design allows them to shut down all but one engine after reaching cruising speed and altitude, while dynamic courses balance wind, altitude and speed.

Based on internal modeling, Zipline reported 68% lower overall sound exposure per flight and 24% lower peak volume compared to its 2025 fleet. The fleet-wide upgrade also reduced average flight times by 53 seconds and energy consumption per flight by 21%. The company also introduced a next-generation aircraft designed to fly higher and more quietly while carrying heavier orders over longer distances.

Medical operations and autonomous scale

The U.S. retail expansion comes alongside a larger medical logistics operation. Zipline has logged 150 million autonomous commercial miles flown without safety incidents and long-haul medical deliveries that help save more than 14,000 lives each year across multiple continents. Its national network in Côte d’Ivoire is under construction and is expected to serve more than 2,200 health facilities and 12 million people.

The funding ties Zipline’s national ambitions to a concrete test execution: replicating reported restaurant earnings and delivery performance as new sites open, while expanding production and hiring. Walmart’s implementations and Uber’s volume focus make merchant adoption and delivery volume central to transforming the brick-and-mortar facility into a national service.