Uber partners with Zipline to launch drone deliveries for Eats by year-end

Uber disclosed an investment and collaboration with San Francisco-based Zipline to bring drone-based order fulfillment to the Uber Eats app, with the first flights slated for the end of this calendar year. Initial operations will occur in markets where Zipline already flies, with plans to expand into many U.S. cities and to scale up to one million deliveries per day by 2029. The move follows Uber’s broader strategy of adding multiple autonomous-vehicle partners after selling its own Elevate and autonomous-technology units.

Uber’s chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi highlighted the potential of ultra-fast delivery, while Zipline co-founder Keller Cliffton described the partnership as a step toward making instant delivery as simple as texting. The companies did not reveal the size of Uber’s financial commitment.