Zipline CEO on flying blood in Rwanda first, now valued at $21.5 billion
round · x · 2026-11-12
The Method E1: researcher sophiadew interviews Zipline co-founder and CEO Keller Cliffton (sharing her handwritten notebook notes). Zipline launched in Rwanda in 2014 because US airspace banned autonomous flight and investors wouldn't fund 'illegal things' — flying blood to 21 hospitals, with a UPenn study showing a 51% drop in maternal mortality. Now at a $21.5B valuation, it has expanded to commercial deliveries, Walmart in Dallas, and partnerships with Chipotle and Uber, targeting 50 billion US instant deliveries.
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