The DroneUp Drone Delivery Model

The DroneUp drone delivery model is different than the approach other drone delivery and retail giants have chosen.  In a DL Exclusive interview from the floor of last week’s Xponential 2022 show in Orlando, CEO Tom Walker and CSO Carl Smit explain how the “second mover advantage” and a collaborative approach has worked to put them out in front in the race to dominate the last mile.

DroneUp is the primary partner for Walmart’s drone delivery service.  More than 90% of U.S. citizens live within 10 miles of a Walmart, making retail drone delivery a reasonable proposition – and a totally different effort than that of online giants like Amazon,  whose warehouses are located relatively sparsely throughout the country.   Even more different is the choice that both Walmart and DroneUp made to buy vs. build, giving them the flexibility to respond quickly to regulatory and technology changes.

Walmart’s decision to outsource drone delivery by partnering with a…