Key facts
- Zipline said it plans to use the funds to expand U.S. manufacturing facilities and hire more workers.
- The round drew participation from Valor Equity Partners, Fidelity Management & Research Company, Uber, Tiger Global, J.P. Morgan, ARK Invest and Salesforce Ventures.
- Zipline and Walmart have had a drone delivery agreement since 2021 and operate 21 active sites together.
- Zipline's Platform 2 drones carry up to eight pounds within a 10-mile radius; Platform 1 covers 120 miles round trip.
- Zipline received Part 135 air carrier certification from the Federal Aviation Administration in 2022.
Zipline raised $1.5 billion and reached a new multi-year agreement with Walmart to add 300 drone delivery sites across the United States, the company said on November 5, 2026. The two companies have had a drone delivery agreement since 2021 and operate 21 active sites together.
The funding round was led by Paradigm, WCM Investment Management and Layer Global, with participation from Valor Equity Partners, Fidelity Management & Research Company, Uber, Tiger Global, J.P. Morgan, ARK Invest and Salesforce Ventures. Zipline said it is now valued at $21.5 billion and plans to use the funds to expand its U.S. manufacturing facilities and hire more workers to build a nationwide drone delivery network.
Founded in 2014, Zipline began by delivering blood by autonomous drone in Rwanda and later expanded to Ghana and Nigeria. The California-based company started U.S. operations in 2020, delivering medical equipment and supplies to Novant Health in North Carolina, and struck its first deal with Walmart the following year. Zipline received Part 135 air carrier certification from the Federal Aviation Administration in 2022, which authorized long-range commercial drone deliveries.
Zipline delivers food, retail, agricultural and health products in five African countries, several U.S. cities and Japan. Its Platform 2 drones carry up to eight pounds within a 10-mile radius, while Platform 1 drones cover 120 miles round trip for enterprise, business and government deliveries. The company said its share of delivery revenue grew from 10.8% to 34.9% between March and October 2026.