Drone delivery startup Manna, major US expansion with Tulsa factory
Original: Autonomous drone delivery startup Manna plots major US expansion
Why This Matters
Manna's Tulsa factory signals accelerating commercial drone delivery competition in the US market.
Ireland-based autonomous drone delivery startup Manna Aero announced on July 8, 2026 that it will establish a US operations and manufacturing center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, aiming to employ approximately 1,000 people over the next several years, fueled by $50M raised in April.
Manna Aero, founded in Ireland, announced a major US expansion on July 8, 2026. The company, which raised $50 million in venture capital in April, is constructing a manufacturing and operations center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. CEO Bobby Healy stated that manufacturing is expected to begin within about one year, with the operations team scaling to 200–300 employees over the next 12 months. The company is also assessing six additional US cities, with plans to begin entering those markets by end of 2027.
Manna operates tether-based drone delivery — packages are lowered via a cable rather than the drone landing — the same method used by competitors Wing and Zipline. The company runs a delivery-as-a-service model and has partnerships with DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Deliveroo in Europe, as well as direct business partnerships and a consumer app.
Healy cited favorable FAA and Trump administration regulatory policies as a key driver, calling them a "turbo boost" for the industry. Manna previously pulled back Irish operations last month due to insufficient planning regulations. Former Ryanair CMO Kenny Jacobs has been hired as executive chair and president to lead the expansion. The company's long-term goal is to compete directly with Amazon, Wing, and Zipline in the US market.