🚨 Zipline Just Raised $1.5 Billion and Nearly Tripled to $21.5 Billion in Under 10 Months
Zipline raised $1.5bn at a $21.5bn valuation, nearly triple January's price, and agreed 300 more Walmart sites.
Zipline just raised $1.5 billion at a $21.5 billion post-money valuation, the drone delivery company announced on Thursday.
In January, Zipline was worth $7.6 billion. That is almost three times the price in under 10 months.
The deal also came in bigger than expected. In September, reported talks pointed to $1 billion at a $20 billion valuation.
⚡ What Happened
Paradigm, WCM Investment Management and Layer Global led the round. Valor Equity Partners, Fidelity, Uber, Tiger Global, J.P. Morgan, ARK Invest and Salesforce Ventures also joined in.
The money goes on US manufacturing, hiring and a nationwide delivery network. Two customer numbers came with it:
- Walmart: 300 additional sites under a new multi-year national agreement (Zipline)
- Uber: a target of one million deliveries a day with Zipline by 2029, and Uber put money into this round too (Zipline)
🧠 Why It Matters
For years, drone delivery was the demo that never quite became a business. Zipline is now publishing numbers that look like one.
It says it has made more than one million deliveries in Dallas-Fort Worth this year. Its median order in October landed 19 minutes after checkout, against 30-plus minutes for traditional delivery.
The most interesting figure is about restaurants. In one group of restaurants, Zipline’s share of delivery revenue went from 10.8% in March to 34.9% in October, while total delivery sales rose 26%. If that holds up elsewhere, drones are finding new orders as well as stealing them from couriers on scooters.
Keep some salt handy: these are Zipline’s own numbers, published alongside a fundraise, and that Uber target is a goal. It would mean matching roughly this year’s entire Dallas-Fort Worth tally every single day.
🔜 What To Watch
The FAA. The agency’s Part 108 rule, which would set the terms for flying drones beyond an operator’s line of sight, has sat in White House review since July 10 and was still unpublished last week.
The rollout. Zipline’s announcement gives no date for those 300 Walmart sites. Walmart also works with Wing, Alphabet’s drone company, so this is no exclusive.
The spending. A $21.5 billion price needs far more than a strong run in Texas. The next test is whether those delivery times survive in other cities.
Sources
- Zipline: Zipline Raises $1.5 Billion to Build Nationwide Drone Delivery Network
- GlobeNewswire: Zipline press release
- Bloomberg: Zipline Tops $21 Billion Valuation, Adds 300 Walmart Drone Sites
- Bloomberg: Drone Delivery Startup Zipline Hits $7.6 Billion Valuation
- STAT Times: Zipline in talks to raise $1 billion at a $20 billion valuation
- UAV Coach: Part 108 still at the White House
- DroneXL: BVLOS coverage
- Runtime Wire: Zipline closes $1.5B round
❓ Quick answers
How much did Zipline raise in November 2026?
Zipline announced $1.5 billion on November 5, 2026, at a $21.5 billion post-money valuation, according to the company's press release.
Who invested in Zipline's $1.5 billion round?
Paradigm, WCM Investment Management and Layer Global led the round, with Valor Equity Partners, Fidelity, Uber, Tiger Global, J.P. Morgan, ARK Invest and Salesforce Ventures also taking part, per Zipline.
What is Zipline's deal with Walmart and Uber?
Zipline says it and Walmart are working to launch 300 additional sites under a new multi-year national agreement, and that Uber is targeting one million deliveries a day with Zipline by 2029.
