Irish drone delivery company Manna is establishing a factory in Tulsa that will employ 1,000 people to compete with Zipline and Wing.

      TL;DR: Manna is establishing a US operations and manufacturing center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which will create 1,000 jobs. The company exited Ireland and aims to expand to six US cities by the end of 2027.

      Manna Aero, the autonomous drone delivery startup based in Ireland, is launching a US operations and manufacturing facility in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which is projected to employ around 1,000 individuals over the coming years. Construction has started, and manufacturing is anticipated to commence in approximately one year. This expansion is supported by the $50 million in venture capital Manna secured in April.

      The company plans to grow its operations team to between 200 and 300 people within the next year, while factory hiring will depend on the pace of growth beyond Tulsa. Manna is currently evaluating six other US cities with the intention of entering them by the end of 2027, contingent on favorable conditions. CEO Bobby Healy shared with TechCrunch that the objective is to become a leading US drone delivery service, competing with Zipline, Amazon, and Google’s Wing.

      According to Healy, the United States represents a highly desirable market due to its size, consumer preferences, and the market consolidation driven by aggregators such as DoorDash and Uber Eats. Manna utilizes autonomous, remotely monitored drones that deliver packages on a tether without landing. The company has a hybrid business model, operating delivery-as-a-service for a fee per flight, and has partnerships with DoorDash, Deliveroo, and Uber Eats in Europe, alongside its own consumer app. The drone delivery sector has transitioned from a novelty to a competitive space, with Amazon, Walmart, and Zipline all expanding their operations in the US.

      The decision to move to the US was partly influenced by challenges in Ireland. Last month, Manna reduced its drone delivery operations in Ireland, citing a lack of planning regulations necessary for scaling. The company appointed former Ryanair CMO Kenny Jacobs as executive chair and president to spearhead the expansion. Healy noted that the Trump administration and the FAA have provided the industry with significant regulatory support. Drone startups across various sectors are increasingly focusing on the US due to clearer regulations and increased defense spending, creating a favorable climate for autonomous flight operations.

      Manna is not entirely new to the US market; it began its operations in 2023 at the AllianceTexas Mobility Innovation Zone near Dallas and has since expanded into the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area. "We may be slightly behind the curve, but we plan to catch up quickly," Healy remarked.