DroneUp

DroneUp is a drone startup offering drone-based last-mile delivery services primarily pitched toward retail, food, and medical deliveries. The company has operations in the US (including Arkansas, Texas, Florida, Arizona, Virginia, Utah, and North Carolina) and potentially Europe. In January 2024, it obtained approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to conduct beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone-based deliveries in the US.

DroneUp’s proprietary autonomous ecosystem consists of 1) “DBX,” a ground infrastructure system that enables autonomous pick-up and delivery of packages; 2) a suite of software systems that provide features such as autonomous flight planning and control that enable a single operator to operate multiple drones, enhanced speed and precision in package pick-up, and digitized maps; and 3) a drone platform that offers onboard charging, extended service coverage, and a speed of 60 mph.

DroneUp’s complementary acquisitions in the space include AeroVista Innovations to provide full-service drone training to organizations (April 2020); Web Teks, a UAS software developer that had been a contractor for DroneUp (March 2021); and AirMap, an airspace management software provider for drones (December 2021).

Key customers and partnerships

DroneUp has conducted drone-based deliveries in partnership with organizations including Walmart, NUAIR (Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance) and SUNY Upstate Medical University, the City of Ontario and the real estate company Brookfield Properties, Riverside Health System, Carilion Clinic, and Chick-fil-A.

DroneUp also has product partnerships with companies including

1) A2Z Drone Delivery to integrate the latter’s tethered freefall drone delivery technology into DroneUp’s drones (March 2021)

2) South Korean company Doosan Mobility Innovation (DMI) to test drones using hydrogen fuel cell technology (April 2023)

3) Irsi Automation to integrate airspace awareness tech into its drones (May 2023)

4) Wonder Robotics to integrate precision technology for drone-based deliveries (May 2023)

5) Blueflite, a drone technology company, to leverage Blueflite’s drones for DroneUp's autonomous ecosystem (April 2024)

6) Elsight to obtain drone connectivity solutions (September 2024)