Uber enters new drone delivery partnership
Uber is making its first investment in drone delivery.
Uber Technologies Inc. is launching a strategic collaboration with drone provider Flytrex Inc. that is expected to bring drone delivery to pilot markets in the U.S. by the end of 2025 via the rideshare platform’s Uber Eats delivery service.
As part of the relationship, Uber is investing with Flytrex to accelerate the development and deployment of drone delivery technology. Uber Eats
Uber Eats also has been piloting emissions-free Coco Robotics sidewalk robots in Chicago, Miami and Los Angeles. In addition, Uber Eats is also partnering with autonomous sidewalk delivery company Serve Robotics, owned by Uber subsidiary Postmates, to pilot an on-demand robotic delivery service in Los Angeles and has tested driverless delivery vehicles from Google subsidiary Waymo.
In addition, the company has run delivery pilots with autonomous vehicle providers Nuro and Motional. Uber has also been jointly developing ride-hailing robotaxis with Waymo.
[READ MORE: Uber, Google expand Waymo robotaxi service in new city]
"Autonomous technology is transforming mobility and delivery faster than ever before," said Sarfraz Maredia, president of autonomous mobility and delivery at Uber. "With Flytrex, we’re entering the next chapter—bringing the speed and sustainability of drone delivery to the Uber Eats platform, at scale, for the first time. Together, we’ll reshape how food, convenience items, and other essentials move through cities."
Chief Uber Eats rival DoorDash has been piloting delivery drones from Wing, the on-demand drone delivery provider powered by Google parent company Alphabet, in the U.S. since 2024 and Australia since 2022. Instacart and Shipt currently do not offer drone delivery.
Flytrex has also been involved in drone delivery projects with Walmart, as well as with CPG companies including Unilever.
"The promise of autonomous vehicles is here, redefining logistics on the ground and in the air," said Noam Bardin, executive chairman of Flytrex. "Partnering with Uber — pioneers of ground-based mobility — brings together proven logistics expertise with aerial innovation. Together, we’re building the infrastructure for a future where autonomous systems seamlessly move goods through our communities, making faster, safer and more sustainable delivery the new standard."
To date, Flytrex has completed over 200,000 deliveries across the U.S. and operates with FAA-certified safety standards, demonstrating that its drones can reliably and safely share the skies with manned aircraft. Integrating Flytrex’s BVLOS-certified drones with the vast network of restaurants, merchants, and consumers on the Uber platform, will unlock faster, safer and more cost-efficient last-mile logistics at scale.
Drone delivery has the potential to significantly reduce delivery times, lower costs, and cut emissions compared to traditional methods — unlocking a future where everything from dinner to daily essentials arrives in minutes, not hours.
