Ziplineが大規模な資金調達を実施

アフリカにおいて医薬品やワクチンの配送事業を大々的に展開しているZiplineが、2021年6月30日に、同社のHPにおいて、2.5億ドルの資金調達を行ったことを発表しています。各国におけるプロジェクト(豊田通商とのプロジェクトについての言及もあります）のための資金に充てられるようです。以下がプレスリリースの抜粋です。

Since we launched our first Zip in Rwanda in 2016, we have worked tirelessly to build the first logistics system that serves all humans equally. Five years later, we have created the world’s largest automated on-demand delivery service, pioneering a new category of instant logistics. Over that time, we have seen the transformative impact of our service: from delivering COVID-19 vaccines at scale in Ghana, and becoming a foundational layer in that country’s medical supply chain, to launching 24/7 deliveries in Rwanda. We’re incredibly proud of the impact we’ve had on the countries, partners, communities, and people we serve.

We’re humbled to announce that Zipline has raised $250 million in new funding to help us accelerate the development of a new model for instant logistics.

With the new funding, we will continue to advance our integrated service, including our autonomy platform, aircraft, fulfillment systems, and operations. The funding will also fuel our continued expansion into new industries and geographies, transforming systems like healthcare and commerce with instant logistics, and strengthen our support of local communities and the partners we work with. We are thrilled to welcome new investors Fidelity, Intercorp, Emerging Capital Partners and Reinvent Capital this round alongside the ongoing support from leading investors Baillie Gifford, Temasek, and Katalyst Ventures.

This announcement comes on the heels of a year of tremendous effort at Zipline, where we accelerated all aspects of our business and operations:

Expanded our service hours in Rwanda to offer the first 24/7 autonomous delivery service in the world

Signed a partnership with the Ministry of Health in Ghana to scale to four additional distribution centers that will cover 24 million people—90% of the country’s population

Helped our partners in the US and in Africa respond quickly to the COVID-19 pandemic, distributing the COVID-19 vaccine and PPE in Ghana and transporting PPE in North Carolina with Novant Health

Entered Japan through a first-of-its-kind strategic operational partnership with Toyota Group

Announced a partnership with Walmart to bring on-demand delivery of health and wellness products to the U.S.

Signed new partnerships with Nigeria’s Kaduna and Cross River States to deliver medical supplies, including vaccines, blood and medicines

Partnered with Pfizer to design and test an end-to-end delivery solution to safely, efficiently, and equitably deliver all COVID-19 vaccines in countries where Zipline operates

Surpassed ten million autonomous miles flown, two million vaccine doses distributed and over 150,000 commercial deliveries completed

When we launched in Rwanda in 2016, we set out to serve 21 hospitals in the first year. It was hard – integrating systems, fine tuning hardware, on-boarding new facilities, pioneering new systems to integrate into civilian airspace, to name a few. This year, when we launch in Kaduna state, Nigeria, we will serve 1,000 new facilities, onboarded with custom built, proprietary software. It’s still hard, but the bar is much, much higher.

This is what scale means to us. Breaking out of the limitations of existing systems to create a model of logistics that reaches everyone, everywhere.

(2021.7.25)