Manna Aero plots major US expansion with Oklahoma manufacturing center

Manna Aero, an Ireland-based autonomous drone delivery startup, is set to significantly expand its presence in the United States. Founder and CEO Bobby Healy said the company is establishing a US operations and manufacturing center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which will employ about 1,000 people over the next several years. The facility is currently under construction, with manufacturing expected to begin within a year.

As construction progresses, Manna will focus on scaling its operations team to 200-300 people over the next 12 months, according to Healy. The pace of hiring at the factory will depend on the company's growth rate outside of Tulsa, with six other US cities being assessed for potential expansion. If plans proceed smoothly, Manna aims to enter these cities by the end of 2027.

The ultimate goal is to establish Manna Aero as a major US drone delivery operator, competing with established players like Zipline, Amazon, and Google's Wing. Healy cited the size of the US market, consumer behavior, and the consolidation of the market by aggregators like DoorDash and Uber Eats as key factors driving the expansion. "The United States has the market that everybody wants," he said.

Manna operates automated, remotely monitored drones that lower packages on a tether, similar to Wing and Zipline. The company has a hybrid business model, charging per flight as a delivery-as-a-service provider, with partnerships with DoorDash, Deliveroo, and Uber Eats in Europe, as well as direct partnerships with businesses and its own consumer-facing app. Manna is still headquartered in Ireland, where its R&D, administrative, and manufacturing operations are based.

However, it recently ceased drone delivery operations in Ireland due to a lack of planning regulations. The company has instead focused on expanding in the US, hiring former Ryanair CMO Kenny Jacobs as its executive chair and president to drive growth. Healy credited the Trump administration's and the FAA's policies with giving the industry a "turbo boost" in the US.

"It's trickling down into raw investment," he said. "A company like us, we wouldn't have had any plans to grow in the United States until the environment was ready from a regulatory standpoint to start growth, and so we've decided very clearly that now is the time for us to put every penny we have into the USA." Healy pointed to the growth of Amazon, Wing, and Zipline over the past year as evidence of the positive regulatory environment. "We're probably slightly behind the curve, but we'll catch up quickly," he said.