Uber Enters Drone Delivery Market with Strategic Investment in Israel’s Flytrex

Uber Technologies has announced a strategic partnership with Israeli drone delivery company Flytrex, marking its first investment in drone-based deliveries. The partnership, revealed today (Thursday), includes an investment estimated at tens of millions of dollars by Uber.

Flytrex, founded in 2013 by Yariv Bash and Amit Regev, is a pioneer in autonomous drone delivery systems. Bash is also known for co-founding SpaceIL, the Israeli non-profit that launched the country’s first lunar mission. Recently, the company appointed Noam Bardin, former CEO of Waze, as its active chairman, further signaling its growth ambitions.

Uber + Flytrex: Aerial Deliveries Are Going Mainstream

"This is a turning point," said Bardin in an interview with Calcalist. “People always feel like they’ve overpaid when ordering deliveries. Flytrex is changing that – enabling food delivery within five minutes of leaving the restaurant, and at much lower costs.”

According to Bardin, the partnership with Uber will not only accelerate drone delivery adoption but also spark a hiring boom at Flytrex. “We currently employ 50 people in Israel and 20 in the U.S., and plan to double that by year-end,” he said.

Flytrex manufactures its own drones and operates under FAA certification, making it one of only four companies authorized for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations in the U.S. – alongside heavyweights like Google’s Wing and Amazon Prime Air.

The new drone-powered delivery service will be integrated with the Uber Eats platform and will first roll out in select pilot markets in the U.S. by the end of 2025. The goal is to combine Flytrex’s autonomous drone capabilities with Uber’s vast logistics infrastructure and restaurant network.

“Autonomous technology is transforming mobility and logistics faster than ever,” said Sarfaraz Maredia, President of Uber’s Autonomous Mobility and Delivery division. “With Flytrex, we’re entering a new chapter – bringing the speed, safety, and sustainability of drone deliveries to Uber Eats at scale for the first time.”

Drone Delivery: A Solution for Suburban Sprawl

Bardin emphasized the efficiency of drone logistics, particularly in U.S. suburbs, where the distance between restaurants and homes makes traditional car-based delivery inefficient. “There’s no economic model that justifies using a car to deliver a burger in the suburbs. But a drone? That changes everything.”

Flytrex has already completed more than 200,000 deliveries across the United States, demonstrating its operational maturity. Its drones operate to FAA-approved safety standards and have proven capable of sharing airspace with manned aircraft.

By combining Uber’s massive global reach with Flytrex’s drone technology, the two companies aim to revolutionize last-mile delivery — making it faster, cheaper, and greener than ever before.

About Flytrex:
Headquartered in Israel, Flytrex develops and operates autonomous drone delivery systems. It is one of the few companies in the world with FAA approval for long-range, beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations in populated areas.

Uber Eats is one of the world’s leading food and convenience delivery platforms, currently operating in over 6,000 cities globally.