Recreating Delivery with Autonomous Drones

Matternet was founded in 2011 with a bold mission that was codified into their name - to build a network from matter. Inspired by the realization that one billion people lack reliable road access to their homes and critical supplies like medicine, Matternet's founder Andreas Raptopoulos saw the potential in using advanced technology and software to create a more efficient and accessible way to deliver goods, revolutionizing this way logistics and transportation in urban areas, starting with on-demand medical deliveries.

Matternet's decentralized peer-to-peer autonomous network consists of drones authorized to fly over cities, ground stations that receive and forward packages to the drone, and software that makes the entire platform work seamlessly. Each drone can transport packages weighing up to 2 kilograms over distances of up to 20 kilometers, even in areas where traditional transportation infrastructure is lacking.

Matternet has achieved several impressive milestones, becoming the first company authorized for commercial BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) operations of drone logistics networks over cities in Switzerland, and partnering with UPS to provide drone delivery services to US healthcare systems, making them the first company to start revenue drone delivery operations in the country. Matternet's drones helped to distribute Covid-19 vaccines to the largest retirement communities in the US, contact-free, during the pandemic. In 2022, the Matternet M2 became the first drone delivery system to achieve standard Type Certification by the Federal Aviation Administration in the U.S, meaning that Matternet drones are allowed to operate in the U.S. airspace without the need for special permissions or waivers.

Matternet in Three:

• What problem is Matternet solving? Matternet is solving the issue of delivering critical goods, like medical supplies, to areas with limited or unreliable road access.

• What's innovative about Matternet? Matternet's innovation lies in its autonomous drone network that enables efficient, on-demand deliveries, particularly in urban areas and regions lacking traditional transportation infrastructure.

• Who can use Matternet? Healthcare systems, logistics companies, and organizations needing fast, reliable delivery services in hard-to-reach or urban areas can use Matternet.

With over 20,000 commercial flights to date, Matternet is building the infrastructure for the cities of the future, serving healthcare and e-commerce with the ultimate goal is to provide 24/7 access to goods at a fraction of the cost, time, and environmental impact of any transportation system used today and creating a more efficient, sustainable, and connected future.