Look to the sky and you might see a drone flying overhead. One day soon, those unmanned aerial vehicles could be delivering a package or meal to your doorstep.
That’s the goal for Drone Express, a drone delivery startup that moved its headquarters to Denver in late September.
Drone Express anticipates receiving a certification from the Federal Aviation Administration by the end of the year which would allow it to offer autonomous drone delivery services. Drone delivery services in Denver would begin in the spring, Drone Express CEO Beth Flippo told Colorado Inno.
The FAA certification Drone Express seeks is for commuter or on-demand operations. The certification, called Part 135, is “the only path for small drones to carry the property of another for compensation beyond visual line of sight,” according to the FAA.
Per to FAA documents last updated on Sept. 12, 30 companies have this certification allowing for operations in Denver. However, these businesses focus on human transportation — such as medical or private charters — or use aircraft flown by a pilot to deliver medical supplies, help fight fires or survey land, according to Colorado Inno research.
When Drone Express receives the Part 135 FAA certification, it will be the only company allowed to deliver goods by drone in Denver. The startup said it is one of a “select few companies” that will attain this certification for autonomous drone delivery.
Drone Express has partnerships with The Kroger Company, Papa John’s International and Winsupply. Flippo said the service in Denver will launch with “an exciting new customer.”
“We are so excited to be a part of the growing entrepreneurial ecosystem in Denver,” she said. “We think the community will embrace drone delivery and help us grow.”
Colorado won’t be the first state to offer drone delivery. Some companies are currently testing their drone delivery systems and others, like Walmart, have rolled out the service to Texas, Utah, Virginia, Arizona and a handful of other states.
Companies such as Amazon and Alphabet — Google’s parent company — are also betting big on these small unmanned aerial vehicles to one day deliver packages to consumers’ doorsteps. In fact, Wing Aviation, a subsidiary of Alphabet, tested its delivery service earlier this year at Coors Field. It delivered beer and peanuts to the field.
As Drone Express prepares to receive the required FAA certification, the startup converted its remote Denver office to its new headquarters, according to a Sept. 15 announcement.
“This is a pivotal moment for our company,” Flippo said in a statement. “Denver offers a dynamic environment to thrive, access to top talent and the ideal backdrop to develop our groundbreaking drone technology further.”
Drone Express was founded in 2021 in Dayton, Ohio. The startup’s operations will continue in Dayton but business development, engineering, IT and operations roles will be based out of the Denver headquarters, Flippo told Colorado Inno.
Drone Express currently has 20 employees, with five based in the Denver metro. Flippo said the company plans to hire additional Denver employees.
