Shortly after selling its stake in sidewalk delivery autonomous delivery company Serve Robotics, Uber Technologies announced a partnership with drone delivery platform Zipline August 17.
Through this collaboration, the companies aim to reach 1 million daily deliveries by 2029, a drastic increase of Zipline’s usage rate, which has accrued just over 2.5 million total deliveries in its 10 years of operation, according to a press release from Zipline.
The partnership will initially go live with drone deliveries in Zipline’s current service areas, including Dallas and Houston, with plans to expand to additional markets as Zipline scales its operations to major U.S. cities over the next several years.
“Zipline has built incredible technology, and Uber connects many millions of people with local merchants every day,” Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber, said in a press release. “Together, we’re shaping the future of delivery by creating a faster, more sustainable way for people to get what they need. We look forward to bringing this technology to more communities and making autonomous delivery part of everyday life.”
Zipline announced that deliveries via the Zipline app grew 13-fold in the first half of 2026, according to a July 14 press release, surpassing 1 million within the last year alone.
The first deployments through the new partnership will begin later this year, according to a Zipline spokesperson, with Uber Eats customers having the option to receive orders via the drone delivery service. The 1 million daily drone delivery goal by 2029 marks the largest such deal publicly announced.
“Teleportation isn’t science fiction anymore. It’s becoming part of everyday life,” Keller Cliffton, Zipline’s co-founder and CEO, said in a press release. “Every great transportation revolution has changed where people live, how businesses operate, and how economies grow. Together with Uber, we’re taking the next step toward building a world where getting what you need is as fast and effortless as sending a text, no matter where you are.”
In addition to Zipline, Uber Technologies boasts nearly 30 autonomous technology partners, including Avirde, Cartken, Coco, Flytex, Starship, Waymo and others.
