An Irish-founded drone delivery startup is betting big on the American Southwest, announcing plans to bring autonomous drone delivery to the vast majority of Tulsa, Oklahoma within the next year.
Manna, which is headquartered in Ireland, says 90% of Tulsa residents will have access to drone delivery service within that timeframe. The company plans to begin flying orders for partners including DoorDash, McDonald’s, and Uber Eats within the next two months, and aims to operate out of 40 locations across Oklahoma’s second most populous city by mid-2027.
Executive chairman Kenny Jacobs spoke to Reuters at the launch of the company’s first full-scale U.S. operation, describing the region as a critical testing ground for the industry. “This part of the U.S., Oklahoma, Texas, states around here will really be the battleground for scaling up and proving all types of drone delivery globally,” Jacobs said.
Jacobs, a former Dublin Airport CEO and former marketing chief at Ryanair who joined Manna this week, said the company has moved past the technology hurdles. “The technology is proven. Now it’s about the commercial scalability and showing how quickly you can open up bases and deliver all types of things,” he added.
Manna faces competition from established players including Zipline, Alphabet’s Wing, Amazon’s Prime Air, and other startups. The company has logged more than 300,000 deliveries to date, primarily in Ireland, though it recently suspended operations there due to a lack of clear national planning regulations.
Jacobs said he expects no similar regulatory obstacles in the United States. He expressed confidence that Manna would expand into at least one additional U.S. city before the end of the year, pointing to other parts of Oklahoma, as well as Texas and Arizona, as likely candidates.
One advantage the company cites is its ability to grow quickly and affordably — each local launch site requires no more space than four parking spots, keeping capital costs per location low.
Manna secured $50 million in Series B funding earlier this year. The company is also eyeing an expansion into Britain by early 2028, with a potential push into the United Arab Emirates possibly coming even sooner, according to Jacobs.
