Matternet, the US-based provider of a delivery service that uses unmanned aerial vehicles, raised $16m on Tuesday in a series A round led by aerospace manufacturer Boeing’s corporate venturing unit.
Boeing HorizonX Ventures invested together with Sony Innovation Fund, a subsidiary of consumer electronics manufacturer Sony, as well as postal service Swiss Post and venture capital firm Levitate Capital.
Matternet has built an online platform that uses its drones to conduct delivery services in urban areas. The first market in which the business has been approved is Zurich, Switzerland, where the company works with Swiss Post to deliver medical samples.
The round follows $9.5m of funding in August 2016 according to a regulatory filing, the month before carmaker Daimler announced it was investing an undisclosed sum in the company as part of a strategic collaboration agreement.
Brian Schettler, managing director of Boeing HorizonX Ventures, said: “Matternet’s technology and proven track record make the development of a safe, global autonomous air mobility system a near-term reality.”