Manna, the Drone Delivery Startup, Aims for Major U.S. Expansion

Manna Aero, an autonomous drone delivery startup from Ireland, has had a limited footprint in the U.S. However, founder and CEO Bobby Healy revealed to TechCrunch that this is set to change.

After securing $50 million in venture capital in April, the company announced on Wednesday its plans to create a U.S. operations and manufacturing center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This facility is projected to generate around 1,000 jobs over the next few years. Construction is already underway, and Healy expects manufacturing to kick off within a year.

As construction progresses, attention will turn to expanding the operations team to roughly 200 to 300 employees within the coming year, according to Healy. Hiring at the factory will be contingent on growth in locations outside of Tulsa, with evaluations already in progress for six additional U.S. cities. If all goes smoothly, Manna aims to commence operations in these areas by the end of 2027.

In the long run, Manna Aero aspires to become a prominent drone delivery operator in the U.S., competing with established entities like Zipline, Amazon, and Google’s Wing.

“The U.S. market size, consumer habits, and the effective consolidation by aggregators (such as DoorDash and Uber Eats) are significant motivators for our expansion here,” noted Healy. “The United States is a sought-after market for all.”

Manna employs automated, remotely piloted drones that lower packages using a tether, similar to techniques utilized by Wing and Zipline. The company follows a hybrid business model, essentially functioning as a delivery-as-a-service provider that charges per flight, while partnering with DoorDash, Deliveroo, and Uber Eats in Europe, alongside collaborating with other businesses and its consumer-focused app.

Despite its headquarters being in Ireland, where it manages R&D, administrative functions, and manufacturing, Manna has temporarily halted its drone delivery services in the country. The company suspended operations last month due to unresponsive planning regulations that impeded growth.

Consequently, Manna is redirecting its efforts toward the U.S. market, having appointed former Ryanair CMO Kenny Jacobs as executive chair and president to lead this growth initiative.

Healy remarked that the regulations established under the Trump administration and the FAA have provided a “turbo boost” to the U.S. drone industry.

“This is resulting in heightened investment,” he stated. “We initially had no intent to expand in the U.S. until the regulatory atmosphere became favorable, and now it’s clear that we must invest every resource we have here.”

Healy recognized the advancements by Amazon, Wing, and Zipline over the past year as evidence of these favorable policies.

“Even though we might be a bit behind, we are determined to catch up quickly,” he said.

Manna is not entirely unacquainted with U.S. operations; the startup initiated services in 2023 within the AllianceTexas Mobility Innovation Zone, a planned community near Dallas, Texas, developed by Hillwood. Healy indicated that Manna has expanded into the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area and plans to continue growing in this region over the next year.