• German drone delivery provider Wingcopter has received an undisclosed amount of funds from Japanese general trading company ITOCHU. It has also announced a strategic partnership with the same.

• According to the partnership, ITOCHU will join Wingcopter’s Authorized Partnership Program (WAPP)—its global network of strategic partners. It will provide distribution and technical support to Wingcopter’s “Wingcopter 198” drone in Japan.

<ul><li> Analyst QuickTake: Today’s news strengthens Wingcopter’s ties with Japan. Last December, the company received funds from Drone Fund, a Japanese venture capital firm with a focus on drone technology-related startups, and hinted at this partnership with ITOCHU as well. The company first announced its entry into the Japanese market in April, in collaboration with airline All Nippon Airways (ANA) to build a drone delivery network–of which trials have now begun. Japan has been a market of interest recently, with several peer companies including Zipline, Matternet, and Skyports also tapping into the market in partnership with third parties. This is partially due to the Japanese government actively recognizing the potential drones have in various applications.</ul>