Zipline Hits $21.5B Valuation as Walmart Takes Drone Delivery Nationwide
November 5, 2026
Zipline (Techstars 2011) has raised $1.5B at a $21.5B valuation and signed a new multi-year deal with Walmart to add 300 drone delivery sites across the U.S.
Zipline (Techstars 2011) has raised $1.5B at a $21.5B valuation and signed a new multi-year agreement with Walmart to add 300 drone delivery sites across the U.S., TechCrunch reports.
The company plans to use the new capital to expand its U.S. manufacturing facilities and hire the workforce needed to build a nationwide drone delivery network.
A Bigger Bet From Walmart
Zipline and Walmart have been delivering by drone together since 2021 and currently operate 21 active sites. The new agreement adds 300 more, a roughly fifteenfold jump that puts drone delivery within reach of far more Walmart shoppers across the country.
Momentum is already building. Zipline says its share of delivery revenue grew from 10.8% to 34.9% between March and October 2026, and the new funding is designed to push that number higher.
From Blood Deliveries in Rwanda to Backyards Across America
Zipline launched in 2014 by delivering blood to hospitals in Rwanda, then expanded into Ghana and Nigeria. Its first U.S. operation came in 2020, carrying medical equipment and supplies for Novant Health in North Carolina. Two years later, Zipline earned Part 135 air carrier certification from the FAA, clearing the way for long-range commercial drone deliveries.
Today, Zipline delivers food, retail, agricultural, and health products in five African countries, several U.S. cities, and Japan. Earlier this year, it also partnered with Uber to bring drone delivery to more customers.
How Zipline Flies
Zipline runs two drone platforms built for different jobs.
- Platform 2 handles home delivery, carrying up to eight pounds within a 10-mile radius.
- Platform 1 serves enterprise, business, and government customers with long-range flights of up to 120 miles round trip.
A Techstars Story That Started With Robots
Zipline’s Techstars roots go back to the fall of 2011, when the founding team joined Techstars Seattle. Back then, the company was called Romotive and focused on turning smartphones into robots. What stood out to the Techstars Seattle team was the founders’ passion for what they were building and their ability to take feedback well.
That’s the kind of team Techstars bets on early. Fifteen years later, Zipline is building one of the most ambitious logistics networks in the world.
Read the full story on TechCrunch, and learn more about Zipline at flyzipline.com.
