could this project boost Matternet?

Matternet was one of the early names in the drone delivery space. Initially, it promoted its drones in healthcare logistics, something we’ve see other companies like Zipline and Wing (two of the largest drone delivery companies out there) do too. These days, Matternet is emphasizing its new Silicon Valley drone delivery service, which brings goods like chocolate and canned drinks to homes.

Matternet’s Silicon Valley drone delivery service kicked off on Aug. 30, 2024. Though it is still in beta mode (largely driven by some outstanding FAA approvals that require Matternet to keep their Silicon Valley drones flying visual line of sight), I had to check it out for myself.

I live in San Francisco, so this November I grabbed a Getaround and drove about an hour down to Mountain View to get my own drone delivery.

Pending successful tests, Matternet seeks to position itself as a leader in urban logistics. After all, it’s drones are flying over complex, densely populated areas.

So how are Matternet’s drone deliveries looking so far? I have two separate videos, based on my tour of Matternet’s Silicon Valley delivery drone operations.

First, check out my experience getting a drone delivery made (yes, I ordered chocolate!) in this 90-second video:

From there, go behind the scenes at Matternet headquarters in my second video. You’ll see where they load, launch and land the drones.

In my second of two 90-second videos centered around my Matternet drone delivery experience, I show you the Matternet Landing Station, their fleet management software, and Matternet’s drone assembly zone. Watch it below:

Still not enough Matternet content? Read on to my guide detailing the latest on Matternet’s Silicon Valley drone deliveries, and what’s ahead for the company:

How the Silicon Valley drone deliveries work

Matternet’s Silicon Valley drone deliveries rely on the company’s FAA Type Certified Matternet M2 drones. The Matternet M2 Drone Delivery platform stands out as the only Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Type Certified platform for drone delivery in the U.S.

Where Matternet drones fly

At the present moment, the Federal Aviation Administration requires Matternet to keep their Silicon Valley drone flights within visual line of sight. That means drones can’t fly that far. For now, they’re contained to a small radius around their headquarters in Mountain View. There, someone stands outside, keeping their eyes on the drones. Since the drones never actually land (more on the drone’s drop system later) and stick to about 250 feet above ground level, someone can still see the drone fairly far out.

Given that limitation, Matternet drones for now can only fly to a small handful of eligible homes in the Bay Area cities of Mountain View and Sunnyvale. Of course, it’s not exactly scalable. But, the Matternet team says it expects that to change once it gets FAA approval to fly beyond visual line of sight. That could be by the end of the year (more on that later).

How customers order through Matternet

Unlike other more established operations, like Wing — which leverages its Walmart partnership to allow customers to order through the Walmart app — Matternet customers order directly through a Matternet web store

There, customers can order the same types of snacks one might expect to see stocked in the snack case of a well-funded tech startup. That includes items like Blue Bottle Organic New Orleans style iced coffee, GoGo SqueeZ organic applesauce and Ritter Sport chocolates.

To be eligible to order, customers must first sign in. To gain sign-in information, customers have to apply through a contact form, which takes into account factors before approving your account (e.g. where you live).

There’s also a limit of when you can order. For now, Matternet’s Silicon Valley drone delivery operations run just a few days a week. Even on those days, it’s only for a handful of hours.

Since I don’t have an account (and don’t have a house in Mountain View), I worked with Matternet’s team to place an order through their account. I had my drone delivery shipped to a local park. I ordered a Tony’s Chocolonely chocolate bar filled with pretzels and toffee.

How Matternet orders are fulfilled

For the current beta test, deliveries all begin at a central hub at Matternet’s office, where they’re loaded with customer orders. As of now, a Matternet employee (typically someone from the Flight Ops team) fulfills the order by grabbing the snack item, which is stored onsite at Matternet’s headquarters.

The Matternet employee then packs it into a custom, Matternet delivery drone box. They then head to the parking lot, which has been turned into a flight takeoff zone. They load the package onto the drone, and then the drone takes off.

How you get your Matternet drone delivery

Assuming you’re approved and you’ve ordered, wait for the drone to arrive.

My drone delivery order came in seven minutes. It flew over a freeway. As the crow flies, the distance wasn’t very far at all. According to Google Maps driving directions, driving between the two points would take five minutes without traffic. I was pretty impressed by the quick speed, considering my chocolate needed to be packaged up and loaded onto the drone, too.

Matternet drones rely on a Tether Drop system which enables them to deliver packages directly to specific areas like doorsteps (or in my case, a park). After delivery, the drones return to the hub, recharge, pick up their next package and are back in the sky.

Scaling urban drone delivery with ANRA Technologies partnership

To aid in its efforts to scale deliveries across urban landscapes, Matternet in November 2024 announced a partnership with ANRA Technologies, which builds flight planning and UAS traffic management (UTM) software.

ANRA is considered an expert in UAS Traffic Management (UTM), having executed some high-profile projects around the world. Among its biggest includes a test with Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization involving All Nippon Airways (ANA). 

At Matternet’s headquarters, you can see Matternet’s Mission Control Software.  on display in the flight control room, where multiple monitors display different views such as other aircraft in the vicinity, altitude of Matternet’s drones and other critical airspace information.

Once it gains FAA approval, Matternet will use ANRA’s airspace management tools to conduct Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flights in the shared, urban airspace above Silicon Valley.

What’s next for Matternet Silicon Valley drone deliveries?

Whereas bigger players like Wing serve far more eligible homes (and at far more hours during the day), Matternet’s Silicon Valley drone delivery service feels more like a beta test for now.

That’s largely due to current limitations from the FAA that require Matternet to keep their Silicon Valley delivery drones within visual line of sight. That will change though once the FAA approval comes in.

As for what we’re waiting on? Matternet is working with the FAA to adhere to standards under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Once that’s complete, Matternet will operate BVLOS under FAA Part 135. The company says it’s targeting the first half of 2025.

And for it’s part, Matternet is ready to fly beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS). In fact, Matternet’s delivery operations in Switzerland began flying BVLOS way back in 2017. And even in the US, Matternet partners with UPS, which was the first 135 operator to fly BVLOS drone delivery operations in the U.S. UPS gained that approval in November 2023, which it exercises by way of flying the Matternet M2 drone.

Matternet currently averages about 10-20 deliveries per day (though it intends to grow that number pending BVLOS approvals).

Matternet’s Landing Station

Speaking of scaling deliveries, there’s also far more that can be done in terms of automation. When I visited, a human was loading all the packages on the drone. But that should change, too.

Matternet has a Landing Station, which is also in test mode. The loading station (which is quite elegant) would eliminate how close humans need to get to the drones. Instead, a human would place the package in a machine, where it would be automatically attached to the drone. The loading station would handled automated charging or battery swapping, too.

Matternet’s vision for their consumer drone deliveries includes expanding to restaurants. These Landing Stations could be place outside, making it easy for restaurant employees to interact with their drones and automate restaurant drone deliveries.

Matternet says it expects to rollout its Landing Station in the fourth quarter of 2025. And when they happen, Matternet is targeting 300 deliveries per day, per hub.

Do you live in Mountain View or Sunnyvale and want to try out Matternet’s drone delivery? You can sign up at delivery.matternet.com.

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