Zipline drones take to the skies to save lives
Drone company Zipline takes to the skies to deliver medical care packages San Francisco based startup, Zipline, is about to begin testing its drone delivery system intended to deliver medical supplies to remote areas of the US, and then eventually to the rest of the world this week.
Key takeaways
- San Francisco based startup, Zipline, is about to begin testing its drone delivery system intended to deliver medical supplies to remote areas of the US, and then eventually to the rest of the world this week.
- During its initial trials the company is going to fly to areas including Smith Island, Maryland and the Pyramid Lake Tribal Health Clinic in Nevada, where it will deliver items such as blood, medicine, and other medical products.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2016) 'Zipline drones take to the skies to save lives', 311 Institute, 15 August. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/zipline-drones-take-to-the-skies-to-save-lives/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
Drone company Zipline takes to the skies to deliver medical care packages
San Francisco based startup, Zipline, is about to begin testing its drone delivery system intended to deliver medical supplies to remote areas of the US, and then eventually to the rest of the world this week.
While it’s still pending FAA approval, which in the light of Seven Eleven's recent flight for a less auspicious cargo of donuts, seems almost certain, Zipline’s drones will aim to demonstrate just how much of an important role drones could play in distributing critical care supplies. During its initial trials the company is going to fly to areas including Smith Island, Maryland and the Pyramid Lake Tribal Health Clinic in Nevada, where it will deliver items such as blood, medicine, and other medical products.
This isn't Zipline's first foray into the drone delivery business though, in April they partnered with UPS to deliver critical care products into Rwanada but, as far as the US goes they're going to be partnering with Ellumen and ASD Healthcare as well as the non-profit organisation Bloodworks Northwest.
The company, who's also designed its own drone which can launch up to a hundred times a day have developed their own low cost, portable launch and landing system and they're backed by $19 million in venture capital investments from prestigious companies and individuals such as Google Ventures, Sequoia Capital, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yan.
While this initial piece of testing will be conducted in the US the company's main focus is the African market where they'll be championing the use of unmanned aerial vehicles for "health based" logistics services but, in the long term it looks increasingly likely that we'll see these sorts of systems being used to deliver critical care packages in and around the US.
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Drone company Zipline takes to the skies to deliver medical care packages San Francisco based startup, Zipline, is about to begin testing its drone delivery system intended to deliver medical supplies to remote areas of the US, and then eventually to the rest of the world this week.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
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Sources and further reading
- Ellumen ellumen.com
- ASD Healthcare asdhealthcare.com
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 15 August 2016. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2016). Zipline drones take to the skies to save lives. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/zipline-drones-take-to-the-skies-to-save-lives/
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