Zipline, a drone-based medical supplies delivery company, announced plans to enter the Kenyan market by partnering with the country’s Kisumu county government to deliver medical products including Covid-19 vaccines, blood products, and other medical supplies to health facilities. 

The company plans to construct a distribution hub for the purpose with an operational capability to serve 16 counties across western Kenya, starting with Kisumu county.

Analyst QuickTake: Zipline is one of the most advanced startups in the drone delivery space, having conducted 260,000+ commercial deliveries to date—mostly in Africa, where its primary operations are. Zipline currently has commercial operations in several African countries including Rwanda, Ghana, Nigeria, and Ivory Coast. Necessary funds for today’s expansion were made available to the company in June when it raised USD 250 million in a Series E funding round to expand operations in Africa and the US. Zipline now joins its peer startups such as Wingcopter and Skycart, who have already tapped the Kenyan market for drone-based medical supply deliveries.