Zipline raises $600M at $7.6B valuation, launches EV3 aircraft, and sets sights on every US metro

Summary

Zipline closed a $600 million funding round, valuing the autonomous delivery company at $7.6 billion, with the capital earmarked for US and global expansion. The announcement came alongside the naming of Houston and Phoenix as its next metro launches, with the company committing to adding multiple new cities every quarter going forward.

The growth numbers underlying the raise are striking. Flight volumes and revenue tripled in the three months between board meetings, and the manufacturing facility has itself tripled in size within two months to support demand. The company reports 15% week-over-week volume growth sustained over the past year, with a single Sunday in Dallas setting an all-time delivery record, surpassing the prior week's record by 25%. In one Dallas municipality, more than 50% of homes have ordered from Zipline, and 10% of all homes in that area placed an order on that record day alone.

Keller, Zipline's representative, introduced the company's next-generation aircraft, the EV3, now entering production at what Zipline claims is the largest autonomous aircraft factory in the United States, capable of building 20,000 aircraft per year. The EV3 carries a roughly 50% cost reduction versus the current platform, achieved through part deletion, redesigned subassemblies, and improved supplier pricing at scale.

On acoustics, Zipline claims its current aircraft are already six times quieter than the nearest competitor during home delivery. The EV3 is projected to deliver an additional 8-decibel reduction this year, which translates to approximately half as loud to the human ear.

To support geographic density, Zipline is introducing ZippingPoints, a ground infrastructure product it will install at no cost to partners including hospitals, retailers, and restaurants. The product is positioned as a new category of delivery endpoint, analogous to a mailbox for autonomous logistics. Alcohol delivery via phone-based ID verification is in scope.

On the eVTOL passenger market, Zipline's view is that autonomous delivery at scale is the necessary precursor to carrying humans. The core barriers cited are the absence of certified autonomous pilots at consumer price points and the lack of urban landing infrastructure. The integration problem, specifically enabling door-to-door pickup and drop-off, is identified as the central unsolved challenge, not the flight technology itself.

Zipline is also operating a 24/7 all-weather test site in the Cascades in Oregon, stress-testing aircraft and ground systems in snow, ice, and sleet conditions, with the goal of qualifying for diverse climate launches across the US by end of 2025.