Drone delivery company Manna has passed a delivery milestone, notching up more than 250,000 deliveries since it began commercial operations.
The company said it had seen deliveries grow more than 100 per cent year on year, with a peak hit in August.
Manna, which was cofounded by entrepreneur Bobby Healy, has completed more than 60,000 deliveries from its hub in Dublin 15.
“We always want to grow faster, but the increase in deliveries and the strong vocal support from the community is down to our passionate 170-person team,” said Mr Healy.
READ MORE
[ Strong local opposition to drone delivery firm's plans for hub in Dublin 15Opens in new window ]
“Our engineers across ground operations, software engineering and mechanical engineering are building the drones and the software in Dublin, competing with and winning against global giants from Ireland.”
The company has sought to expand to new sites, including Tallaght and Dundrum. However, it has encountered some opposition locally. Last year, Fingal council refused planning retention for a Manna delivery hub for Junction 6 Castleknock in Dublin 15.
The plan attracted a number of objections, citing loss of privacy and noise concerns, but also several supportive submissions from local businesses.
Manna said it began using new propellers approved by authorities in October last year, aimed at making the drones quieter, and has received fewer than 10 new complaints since rolling out the propellers to its delivery drones.
“We continuously invest in advanced technology, but as this is a highly regulated space, particularly around safety and privacy, introducing new innovations requires time and careful approvals,” said the company’s head of regulation, Kevin Houston.
[ Drone delivery company refused permission to retain hub in BlanchardstownOpens in new window ]
“That said, we’re very pleased with the community’s positive response: since deploying our quieter propellers, we’ve received less than 10 complaints. On a logarithmic scale, our drones now operate at the sound level of a typical conversation while cruising overhead.”
Manna has also been eyeing international expansion, testing its drones in countries such as Finland. The company has also attracted the backing of Ark Invest through its venture fund, with the sum believed to be eight figures. Among the other companies backed by the fund are OpenAI, SpaceX and Anthropic.
“I’ve always said Ireland can lead globally in this space, in the same way it did with Ryanair by building an operation that is efficient, scalable and commercially sustainable,” said Mr Healy.
He added that “2026 will be a big year for Manna internationally as we expand. The question for Ireland is whether we choose to back innovation that is delivering jobs, carbon and traffic reduction, accessibility and real-world outcomes at home and allow evidence and majority community support to shape how that progress happens.”
