Uber is investing in drone delivery company Zipline and partnering with the startup to expand drone deliveries through its Uber Eats platform.

The companies announced on Monday, August 17, 2026, that Zipline drones are expected to begin making deliveries on Uber Eats by the end of the year.

The initial service will operate in markets where Zipline already has a presence, with Uber and Zipline planning to expand the service to dozens of cities across the United States.

The companies did not disclose the value of Uber’s investment.

Uber said the longer-term goal is to enable one million deliveries a day using Zipline’s drones by the end of 2029.

The partnership forms part of Uber’s broader strategy of working with multiple companies developing autonomous delivery and transportation technologies rather than building all of the technology itself.

The company has adopted a similar approach in the autonomous vehicle sector, partnering with and investing in several technology providers as it seeks to expand services beyond conventional ride-hailing.

Uber has committed more than $10 billion to dozens of autonomous vehicle providers, while also shutting down some of its own autonomous technology programmes, including Uber Elevate and Uber Autonomous Technologies Group.

The company has also previously explored drone delivery. It announced a partnership with Israeli drone delivery startup Flytrex late last year, which included a small investment.

Uber believes Zipline’s drones could deliver Uber Eats orders within five to 10 minutes.

Uber Chief Executive Officer Dara Khosrowshahi said the potential for rapid delivery could create a significant new growth opportunity for the company’s food delivery business.

“Truly quick commerce is proving to be an even bigger market than the original food market was,” Khosrowshahi told The Wall Street Journal.

“We think this can be an enormous tailwind for the next leg of growth for Eats,” he added.

Zipline, which is based in San Francisco, recently completed an extended Series H funding round that raised $800 million and valued the company at $7.6 billion.

Zipline co-founder Keller Cliffton said the partnership with Uber represented another step towards making rapid delivery more accessible.

“Every great transportation revolution has changed where people live, how businesses operate, and how economies grow,” he said.

“Together with Uber, we’re taking the next step toward building a world where getting what you need is as fast and effortless as sending a text, no matter where you are,” he added.