Zipline, a drone delivery startup, has announced it is in the process of raising $1 billion at a $20B Valuation in a Series I funding round. If the deal goes through at the expected valuation, it would more than double the company’s previous $7.6 billion valuation.
The funding came after a deal in August with Uber to extend deliveries by drones in the US. The companies are set to start deliveries in Dallas and Houston by the end of the year, using smaller drones for delivering groceries, food and retail orders. Both companies have a bigger goal of 1 million daily deliveries by drones by the end of 2029.
The company was founded in 2014 and became well-known due to the initiative to deliver blood supplies via drones to hospitals in Rwanda. In 2023, the Federal Aviation Administration approved Zipline’s request for permission to make commercial deliveries by drones beyond the visual line of sight of the pilot. It later expanded its services to food and other small goods in parts of the US.
So far, Zipline has raised about $2 billion, including $200 million in March 2026 and $600 million in January 2026. Its investors include Fidelity Management, Valor Equity Partners, Tiger Global Management and Paradigm.
The latest funding round is still being discussed and has not closed. The lead investor is also not known yet. If completed, the $1 billion round would mark a major funding milestone for Zipline and reflect growing investor interest in drone delivery technology.
