weekly startup spotlight

welcome to introspection ft. harsehaj! ⭐️ i’m harsehaj, and always up to something in social good x tech.

this publication is a place for me to reflect on productivity, health and tech, and drop unique opportunities in the space right to your inbox daily. if you’re new here, sign up to tune in!💌

scroll to the end for my daily roundup on unique opportunities!

onto today’s topic: zipline 📦️ 

you’d think drone delivery would be commonplace by now, right?

well, zipline is working on making that a reality for high-urgency deliveries in healthcare and essential goods for remote or hard-to-reach areas.

briefly, zipline is a drone logistics company that delivers medical supplies, pharmaceuticals, and consumer goods to remote and urban areas using autonomous aircraft. they operate as both a b2b and b2g (business-to-government) startup, partnering with healthcare providers, governments, and retailers like walmart for on-demand deliveries. zipline primarily operates on a service-based model by charging clients per delivery or through long-term contracts.

let’s talk numbers! 🤓 

the drone delivery market is experiencing rapid growth considering that in 2024, it was valued at ~$1.64 billion and is projected to reach $33.29 billion by 2033, reflecting a cagr of 35.13% (source).

as of january 2025, zipline’s estimated annual revenue is $750 million (source), which is a significant growth from the $187.4 million reported in 2023 (source). 

i’ve admired zipline as a startup for quite some time, because they have actually made meaningful impact. this fact sheet does a phenomenal job exemplifying my point. for example, a study in the lancet showed that zipline’s service resulted in a 67% reduction in blood wastage across rwanda. furthermore, a bill & melinda gates foundation funded study found that vaccine shortages are 60% shorter at zipline-served facilities than facilities not served by zipline.

this is real, tangible impact. 🚀 

questions i’d be interested to ask

• what is the most challenging part about navigating conversations with government? how does the timeline of implementation differ with government clients versus business clients?

• what does crisis management planning look like? what happens when technology fails and an important delivery goes unfulfilled?

daily opportunity + resource drops 🔍️