Manna Aero, an autonomous drone delivery startup, is expanding its operations to the US. The company is setting up a US operations and manufacturing center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which will employ about 1,000 people over the next several years.
The startup, fueled by $50 million in venture capital, aims to become a major US drone delivery operator competing with Zipline, Amazon, and Google's Wing. Manna operates automated, remotely monitored drones that lower packages on a tether, and has a hybrid business model that charges per flight.
The company has hired former Ryanair CMO Kenny Jacobs as its executive chair and president to drive the expansion, and plans to start entering six other US cities by the end of 2027.
