500 Global is a multi-stage venture capital firm with $2.4 billion in assets under management. The firm invests in founders who are building fast-growing technology companies. It focuses on markets where technology, innovation, and capital can generate long-term value and economic growth. 500 Global collaborates with key stakeholders and provides advisory services to governments on fostering entrepreneurial ecosystems to support startups. The firm has invested in over 5,000 founders and more than 2,800 companies across 80+ countries. It has funded over 35 companies valued at more than $1 billion and over 160 companies valued at over $100 million, including those that are private, public, or have exited. The team consists of over 190 members based in more than 25 countries, with experience as entrepreneurs, investors, and operators from leading technology companies.

500 Global

Side Door Ventures is a global venture capital firm investing in audacious founders building the future at the fringe. We’re generalist investors and back teams across software, life sciences, space, frontier tech, blockchain, gaming, and financial services that aim to transform industries and improve lives. The Future Starts at the Fringe.

Side Door Ventures

Draper Associates is an early-stage venture capital firm that invests in industry-transforming companies. They invest globally, in great teams of people creating revolutionary companies in new media, gaming, SaaS, cloud, new finance, IOT, and mobile. Their portfolio companies disrupting markets in the tens of billions and are on a clear path to later rounds of fundraising. Draper Associates encourages entrepreneurs to drive their businesses to greatness, to transform industries with new technologies, and to build platforms for extraordinary growth, jobs, and wealth creation. It was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in San Mateo, CA, USA.

Draper Associates

Graph Ventures is an investment group that specializes in seed and early-stage venture investments. It was founded in 2011.  Investments include:  * BetterUp * Birdies  * BlueApron * Dapper Labs * Earnin * Envoy * Hinge * Houseparty * Ipsy * Loft * Lever * Lingokids * Moon Express * Papaya * PicsArt * Porch * Quinto Andar * RideOS * Saildrone * Very Good Security * VivaReal  * Zeplin

Graph Ventures

GFC is a venture fund that supports entrepreneurs at various stages of business development. It focuses on global markets and seeks individuals with innovative ideas. The fund evaluates opportunities based on potential impact and feasibility.

Global Founders Capital

Halogen Ventures is a Los Angeles, California-based Venture Capital fund focused on investing in early-stage consumer technology startups with a female on the founding team. Halogen Ventures invests in pre-seed, seed, and series A companies creating groundbreaking technologies and products in the consumer space. It is hands-on and supports founders through their full lifecycle. The firm helps them build their networks, get brand exposure, hire great talent, raise follow-on rounds and find their path to acquisition or IPO.

Halogen Ventures

At One Ventures finds, funds, and grows teams to catalyze a world where humanity is a net positive to nature. They back early-stage (Seed, Series A) companies that are using disruptive deep tech to upend the unit economics of established industries while dramatically reducing their planetary footprint. They also look for companies that are pioneering new industries that are actively regenerative to planetary health. Lastly, they look for companies that have significant potential to be healthy, scalable businesses, because the positive impacts they invest in only last as long as the businesses that carry them.

At One Ventures

MightyFly

MightyFly is remaking the future of logistics through autonomous freight delivery systems that are faster, cheaper and carbon neutral. We're building patent-pending, autonomous, electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft with a cargo capacity of up to 500 pounds, a range of 600 miles and speed of 150 mph to provide rapid and efficient package transport to businesses and governments. The ''freight focused” design optimizes for speed and automation, leading to increased efficiency, greater throughput and higher margins.

MightyFly offers drone-based on-demand delivery services with long-range, heavy cargo aircraft called “Cento” for medical deliveries and other middle-mile logistics needs. The company was co-founded by two industry veterans: An MIT/Stanford aerospace engineer and a flight control operational lead at drone delivery startup Zipline. Its airplane-shaped cargo drones are equipped with a conveyor belt for automated loading and unloading and therefore, do not require dedicated infrastructure for launch and recovery. Its <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/25965">third-gen drone</a> (unveiled in January 2024) can carry a maximum payload of around 100 lbs while cruising at a speed of 150 mph at a range of around 600 miles.

Automation and robotics are finally creating solutions for the complexities of doorstep deliveries.

Last-mile Delivery Automation

MightyFly gets FAA approval for drone testing corridor

MightyFly offers drone-based on-demand delivery services with long-range, heavy cargo aircraft called “Cento” for medical deliveries and other middle-mile logistics needs. The company was co-founded by two industry veterans: An MIT/Stanford aerospace engineer and a flight control operational lead at drone delivery startup Zipline. Its airplane-shaped cargo drones are equipped with a conveyor belt for automated loading and unloading and therefore, do not require dedicated infrastructure for launch and recovery. Its <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/25965">third-gen drone</a> (unveiled in January 2024) can carry a maximum payload of around 100 lbs while cruising at a speed of 150 mph at a range of around 600 miles.&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/15884">In January 2023,</a> Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted the Cento drone a Special Airworthiness Certificate and a Certificate of Authorization (COA) for long-range flights. <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/28995">In May 2024,</a> the company also received FAA approval for test flight corridor in California for its third-gen drone.Key customers and partnershipsMightyFly is seeking partnerships for delivery service operations as of March 2024.Funding and financialsMightyFly <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/19759">received a USD 150,000 grant</a> from the Michigan Mobility Funding Platform (MMFP) in May 2023 to conduct autonomous cargo delivery flight demonstrations in Michigan.

MightyFly offers drone-based on-demand delivery services with long-range, heavy cargo aircraft called “Cento” for medical deliveries and other middle-mile logistics needs. The company was co-founded by two industry veterans: An MIT/Stanford aerospace engineer and a flight control operational lead at drone delivery startup Zipline. Its airplane-shaped cargo drones are equipped with a conveyor belt for automated loading and unloading and therefore, do not require dedicated infrastructure for launch and recovery. Its <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/25965">third-gen drone</a> (unveiled in January 2024) can carry a maximum payload of around 100 lbs while cruising at a speed of 150 mph at a range of around 600 miles.<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/15884">In January 2023,</a> Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted the Cento drone a Special Airworthiness Certificate and a Certificate of Authorization (COA) for long-range flights. <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/28995">In May 2024,</a> the company also received FAA approval for test flight corridor in California for its third-gen drone.Key customers and partnershipsMightyFly is seeking partnerships for delivery service operations as of March 2024.Funding and financialsMightyFly <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/19759">received a USD 150,000 grant</a> from the Michigan Mobility Funding Platform (MMFP) in May 2023 to conduct autonomous cargo delivery flight demonstrations in Michigan.

Zing Drone Solutions offers an end-to-end drone delivery platform, which includes autonomous flight software and plug-and-play hardware. Drone pilots can team up with Zing to make deliveries with their own drones, while Zing undertakes the licensing and insuring of pilots. The company also sells two models of FAA-approved broadcast modules to pilots.As of March 2024, the company had operations in a test site in Sarasota, Florida, to demonstrate drone-based deliveries. It was mainly generating revenue through the sale of broadcast modules to pilots.Key customers and partnershipsZing Drone Solutions has product partnerships with companies including 1) software company Airspace Link to integrate airspace awareness technology (December 2021); 2) air traffic navigation service provider Skyway Technologies to install route planning and air navigation solutions for operations in Florida and beyond (January 2022; conducted first flights in Montverde, Florida <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/10175">in May 2022);</a> and 3) Arrive (formerly DroneDek; June 2020) and Valqari (August 2021) to obtain hardware and infrastructure.Funding and financialsZing Drone Solutions generated revenue of USD 40,847 and incurred a loss of USD 160,287 in 2023.

Zing Drone Solutions

DroneUp is a drone startup offering&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/18602">drone-based last-mile delivery services</a> primarily pitched toward retail, food, and medical deliveries. The company's&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/34605">technology package</a> includes a proprietary software solution, an innovative winch system, and custom battery packs. The company has operations in the US (including Arkansas, Texas, Florida, Arizona, Virginia, Utah, and North Carolina) and potentially&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/11637">Europe.</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/36763">In December 2024,</a> it obtained approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)’s Part 135 Certification to conduct commercial beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) drone deliveries.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&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/103">(March 2021)</a>; and AirMap, an airspace management software provider for drones&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/7177">(December 2021).</a>&nbsp;Key customers and partnershipsDroneUp has conducted drone-based deliveries in partnership with organizations including <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/10658">Walmart,</a> <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/161">NUAIR (Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance) and SUNY Upstate Medical University,</a> the City of Ontario and the real estate company <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/4266">Brookfield Properties,</a> <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/17938">Riverside Health System,</a> <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/19264">Carilion Clinic,</a> and <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/23954">Chick-fil-A</a>.DroneUp also has product partnerships with companies including1) <a href="https://sp-edge.com/companies/865380">A2Z Drone Delivery</a> to integrate the latter’s tethered freefall drone delivery technology into DroneUp’s drones <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/105">(March 2021)</a>2) South Korean company Doosan Mobility Innovation (DMI) to test drones using hydrogen fuel cell technology <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/17671">(April 2023)</a>3) Irsi Automation to integrate airspace awareness tech into its drones <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/18258">(May 2023)</a>4) Wonder Robotics to integrate precision technology for drone-based deliveries <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/18344">(May 2023)</a>5) Blueflite, a drone technology company, to leverage Blueflite’s drones for DroneUp's autonomous ecosystem <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/28155">(April 2024)</a>6) Elsight to obtain drone connectivity solutions <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/33137">(September 2024)</a>

DroneUp

Agility Robotics develops a human-sized, bi-pedal robot called “Digit” designed for logistics applications primarily for warehouse automation, with plans to introduce the unit for last-mile delivery applications. It is the only company in the market with a product designed to look and move like a human, using two upper limbs to carry an item while moving around on two legs. The robot uses a head-mounted LiDAR system for its primary navigation and is able to navigate semi-autonomously, carrying weight up to 35 lbs. The robots can charge autonomously by connecting themselves to docking stations when needed and can be deployed without additional retrofitting.The company unveiled the second generation of Digit <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/17182">in March 2023,</a> with plans to begin shipping to early customers in 2024 and a wider rollout in 2025 (price not disclosed). The company has a <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/21927">manufacturing facility in Oregon</a> with the capacity to produce more than 10,000 robots per year.&nbsp;The company also offers <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/27444">“Agility Arc,"</a> which is a cloud automation platform for deploying and managing Digit fleets. This is offered on a SaaS basis.Funding and financials<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/9899">In April 2022,</a> Agility Robotics raised USD 150 million in a Series B funding round led by DCVC and Playground Global to fast-track R&amp;D, ramp up production and delivery of its next-generation robot, and expand the team. In April 2022, Agility Robotics also received an undisclosed amount of funds from the Amazon Industrial Innovation Fund.&nbsp;Key competitors: None comparable (Agility Robotics is the only startup developing a humanoid robot for parcel delivery)

Agility Robotics

Manna Drone Delivery (Manna) provides drone delivery-as-a-service to restaurant chains, cloud kitchens, and online food delivery platforms. Using custom-developed aerospace-grade drones, it delivers directly from restaurants and centralized kitchens to consumer's homes. Its drones can fly at a speed of 60 mph, delivering within a range of 10 miles. The drones are also equipped with safety systems including a parachute that will automatically deploy and bring the aircraft to the ground in case of an emergency.In May 2021, Manna received the Irish Aviation Authority’s (IAA) <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/62">“Light UAS Operator Certificate” (LUC),</a> available under EU drone regulations and recognized across the EU. With the certification, Manna can self-authorize operations without the need for further approvals. The company also applied for a drone-based delivery services license in the UK <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/22174">in September 2023.</a>The services are offered via Manna’s mobile application, where restaurants can partner and list themselves for drone-based deliveries to their customers. As of March 2024, the company had completed 150,000+ deliveries to customers in Ireland (including Moneygall, Co Offaly, Oranmore, Co Galway, and in Blanchardstown and Balbriggan, Co Dublin) and the US <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/23388">(Dallas, Texas).</a>Key customers and partnershipsIts notable partners include restaurant operators and retailers such as Flipdish, <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/91">Just Eat,</a> Tesco, Camile Thai’s, <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/106">Samsung Electronics,</a> Coca-Cola, <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/23388">Farmhouse Coffee &amp; Treasures, The Touring Chocolatie,</a> and <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/27176">Boojum.</a>Funding and financials<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/17122">In March 2023,</a> Manna received an undisclosed amount of funding from Coca-Cola HBC and entered into a strategic partnership with the same to expand its reach to the US market.&nbsp;

Manna Drone Delivery

TwinswHeel is an autonomous delivery droids manufacturer based in France. The company offers six droids under two ranges; 1) “ciTHy” series pitched toward logistics applications for private sites and cities and 2) “facTHory” series pitched toward factories and warehouses. The robots can be configured to either pair up and collaborate with a person and follow them while carrying the loads or to move autonomously in a mapped area. The robots are equipped with LiDAR, six 2D cameras, 3D camera, and sensors for navigation. The ciTHy series comprises the following three sizes that can be used for last-mile delivery applications:1. ciTHy S: Can carry loads of up to 110 lbs, pitched toward personal mobility.2. ciTHy M: Can carry loads of up to 330 lbs; pitched toward technicians and craftsmen to help carry loads.3. ciTHy L: Can carry loads of up to 660 lbs; pitched toward stores in city centers.Key customers and partnershipIn May 2019, the company conducted a trial run in partnership with the French supermarket chain Casino’s Franprix, where shoppers can pair up with the robot, making it follow them while shopping, and even carry items to the customer’s home.The company also manufactures droids on behalf of the autonomous droid operator LMAD (2021).

TwinswHeel

Refers to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that deliver packages. Drones are already in commercial use in many other industries (such as photography, construction, and agriculture). The use of drones for goods delivery has emerged with the gradual advancement of battery and connectivity technologies.

Refers to autonomous vehicles that use pedestrian walkways and travel a little faster than average walking speed (generally 3-6 miles an hour). These vehicles can usually carry up to around 20 lb. and use a camera, radar, and sensors to move autonomously. 

This is a sub-branch of self-driving cars and represents autonomous vehicles that can move along public roads. The technology used is similar to self-driving cars. ADVs have a higher load capacity and travel at a faster speed than vehicles like droids.

Some companies use AI/ML tech for autonomous navigation.  (e.g., Goggo Network, Drone Express, Wayve)"

Autonomous delivery solutions fall under Industry 4.0

The solutions are electric and eco-friendly

All three types of delivery automation facilitate efficient and environmentally friendly solutions

ANALYST_QUICK_TAKE

<div>
 MightyFly, a provider of drone-based delivery services, has been granted approval by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for a flight corridor between the New Jerusalem and Byron Airports in California, a distance of 20 miles. This approval will allow MightyFly to conduct various flight tests with their “2024 Cento” drone. The drone has the capability to operate beyond the visual line-of-sight (BVLOS) of the operator and will be monitored by a chase plane.
 MightyFly highlights the potential of their drone for B2B fast logistics in sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, and defense. The company has plans to scale production through a Series A investment round.
</div> Analyst QuickTake: 
 Today’s approval marks a significant step forward for MightyFly, as it looks to test and commercialize its drone technology. The company unveiled its third-gen 2024 Cento drone <a href="https: 
//sp-edge.com/updates/25965"> in January 2024, </a> which can carry a maximum payload of around 100 lbs while cruising at a speed of 150 mph at a range of around 600 m.

MightyFly

EDGE Insights

About EDGE

Contact Us

Resources

Area of Focus

Technology Research Made Effortless