Zipline, the drone delivery service, has received $150 million from the U.S. Department of State to expand its life-saving artificial intelligence and robotics infrastructure across Africa.
The $150 million, under pay-for-performance model, will be released to Zipline when it signs up expansion contracts with African governments.
Zipline has been operating across Africa since 2016, partnering with national governments to deliver blood and medicines to over 5,000 hospitals and health facilities. Its work has been credited with helping cut maternal deaths by up to 56%, reducing zero-dose prevalence by 42% in a single year, and reducing missed opportunities to treat severe malaria by 66%.
Since its first delivery in 2016 in Rwanda, Zipline’s autonomous logistics system has flown more than 120 million commercial autonomous miles and completed over 1.7 million autonomous deliveries with zero safety incidents, proving it can rapidly deploy life-saving technology to expand access and improve health outcomes across Africa.
Rwanda is expected to be the first country to expand under this new award, building a third distribution center and doubling daily deliveries. Additional Zipline expansions are expected in additional countries, including Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, and Nigeria.
“We started Zipline to build a logistics system that serves all people equally. Today the U.S. government is doubling down on our work, and using our AI, robotics and autonomous logistics system to improve health outcomes,” said Keller Rinaudo Cliffton, CEO and Co-Founder of Zipline.
“This partnership is an example of the innovative, results-driven partnership at the core of the America First foreign assistance agenda. With modest U.S. capital investment support, these five countries will become responsible for maintaining and continuing to invest in a transformative American-built health commodities supply chain network,” said Under Secretary of State for Foreign Assistance, Humanitarian Affairs and Religious Freedom Jeremy Lewin. “By strategically deploying assistance resources to catalyze private capital, incentivize local buy-in, and champion American businesses, President Trump’s foreign assistance agenda is bringing developing economies into the 21st century and helping America win the race for the technologies of tomorrow at the same time.”
