Manna Drone Delivery Announces 400 New Jobs Across Ireland and the US
Irish drone delivery company Manna has announced a major expansion that will create 400 new jobs across Ireland and the United States, backed by a $50 million Series B funding round that brings its total capital raised to $110 million — marking a landmark moment for one of the country's most innovative technology startups.
The Dublin-headquartered company, which specialises in delivering food, medicine, and everyday essentials via autonomous drones, is scaling up its operations considerably. The announcement signals growing confidence in the commercial viability of drone-based delivery and positions Manna as a global leader in the rapidly evolving logistics technology sector, with plans to establish up to 40 new operational bases in the United States alone.
Background
Manna was founded by serial entrepreneur Bobby Healy, who identified the inefficiency and unreliability of road-based food delivery in suburban Dublin and set out to build a technology-driven solution. Operating on a "Drone Delivery As a Service" model, the company provides the infrastructure for local businesses to offer customers ultra-fast delivery — with drones capable of completing a journey in approximately three minutes, flying at speeds of 50–60 mph.
The company has used Ireland as its primary testbed, completing over 250,000 regulated autonomous flights across hubs in Blanchardstown, Balbriggan, Oranmore, and Moneygall. Manna claims to be the only company in the competitive drone delivery space to have achieved profitable location economics — a significant breakthrough in the logistics industry. Its service has earned a Net Promoter Score of 86, indicating exceptionally high customer satisfaction.
Manna holds a Light UAS Operator Certificate (LUC) from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) framework — the highest operational approval a drone company can achieve — placing it under the same safety standards as a commercial airline and permitting scalable operations across all EU member states. The company's drones are designed and manufactured in-house in Ireland, giving it full control over its technology stack.
Key Developments
The $50 million Series B round was led by ARK Invest — the prominent US firm known for backing Tesla, SpaceX, and OpenAI — alongside the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) and Schooner Capital. Existing investors including Coca-Cola HBC, Molten Ventures, and Enterprise Ireland also participated. The funding will grow Manna's global headcount from 170 to over 570, with 300 of the 400 new roles based in Ireland and 100 in the United States.
The new positions are predominantly high-skilled STEM roles in robotics, software and mechanical engineering, and aviation operations. Manna has secured partnerships with the largest players in the food delivery sector — Uber, Deliveroo, Just Eat, and DoorDash — positioning itself as the underlying autonomous infrastructure for consumer-facing delivery apps rather than a direct competitor. The company is specifically targeting the 92 million suburban family homes in the US that have not been profitably served by traditional gig-economy delivery models.
In the United States, Manna is actively engaging with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and a visit by FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford to Manna's Dublin headquarters signalled a collaborative regulatory dialogue. The broader US drone delivery industry is awaiting the finalisation of FAA Part 108 regulations, expected to create a clear framework for scalable beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations.
Why It Matters
The creation of 400 high-quality technology jobs is a significant boost for the Irish economy at a time when the country is navigating global economic uncertainties. Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Peter Burke welcomed the announcement as an "endorsement of Ireland's position as a global innovation and advanced manufacturing hub" and a recognition of the quality of Ireland's STEM talent. Enterprise Ireland Executive Director Kevin Sherry described Manna as a "dynamic and ambitious company" with the potential for massive global growth.
Beyond the economic impact, drone delivery offers meaningful environmental benefits. Electric drones produce significantly lower carbon emissions than traditional delivery vehicles, and Manna's biodegradable tether and recyclable packaging further reduce its environmental footprint. The company's 97.5% operational availability rate — achieved in the variable Irish weather — demonstrates the robustness of its technology and its readiness for commercial scale.
Local Impact
For Ireland, Manna's expansion is a genuine source of national pride and economic opportunity. The company has designed, built, and operationalised its entire technology stack within the country — a rare end-to-end innovation story that strengthens Ireland's reputation as a global technology hub. The 300 new Irish roles will be distributed across Dublin and Manna's expanding network of operational hubs, including a planned Cork operation. For communities in towns where Manna already operates — such as Balbriggan and Oranmore — the company has become a tangible part of daily life, delivering food and pharmacy items in minutes and demonstrating that cutting-edge technology can serve ordinary people in ordinary places.
What's Next
Manna is expected to begin recruitment for the new roles in the coming months, with its US expansion closely watched by the wider drone delivery industry as a test case for the scalability of autonomous aerial logistics. The company's ability to replicate its Irish success across 40 US bases will be the defining challenge of its next chapter. For more on Manna's expansion, see the full announcement at RTÉ News and Business Wire.
