Irish drone delivery startup raises €20m in new funding

Manna Aero is currently trialling drobe delivery in Galway

People living in Oranmore, Co Galway can currently receive a range of products delivered to their home via drone.

Drone delivery company Manna has raised $25m (€20.6m) to expand its drone fleet’s operations, including the addition of delivery services for prescription medical supplies and an initial expansion into the US.

The Irish startup, which designs, builds and operates drones to deliver restaurant food, groceries and pharmacy goods in suburban areas, said it will use the funds to scale its fleet and begin delivering prescription medical supplies. Manna’s drones can make a delivery in less than three minutes and the company says a single employee can manage multiple drones to make about 20 drop-offs an hour.

Manna, which is trialling its service in Oranmore, Co Galway will also test its service in the US this year and has plans to expand in Ireland and other European countries.

People living in Oranmore can currently receive a range of products delivered to their home via drone including products and food from Tesco, Camile Thai, Supermacs, Just Eat, Samsung, Ben & Jerry’s and Tesco.

The company recently hired Andrew Patton, a former executive at Alphabet's drone delivery unit Wing, to head up its US operations.

The Series A round was led by venture capital firm Draper Esprit and drew participation from Team Europe and DST Global as well as existing investors Dynamo Ventures, Atlantic Bridge and Elkstone, the Irish company said in a statement on Thursday.

“There is a huge appetite for a greener, quieter, safer and faster delivery service, and we’re excited to use this fresh round of funding to expand operations,” Manna Chief Executive Officer Bobby Healy said in the statement.

Additional reporting Bloomberg