AVI-SPL and Matternet partner on autonomous drone delivery
The partnership will use Matternet’s autonomous drone platform to deliver critical equipment and replacement parts to field technicians in minutes.
AVI-SPL has partnered with Matternet to deploy autonomous drone delivery for critical equipment and replacement parts across metropolitan markets. The partnership will combine AVI-SPL’s service, integration and supply chain network with Matternet’s drone delivery technology to support faster service for field technicians.
The companies said the drones will deliver equipment and replacement parts to technicians within minutes, helping reduce delays caused by road transportation in congested urban and suburban areas.
AVI-SPL is a digital enablement solutions provider that delivers collaboration, audiovisual (AV) and unified communications (UC) technology solutions and managed services to organisations worldwide.
The partnership is expected to support AVI-SPL installers and technicians working in busy downtown areas, where drone delivery can avoid ground transportation delays. It will also support premium service offerings with faster response times and tighter service-level agreements for customers requiring higher levels of support.
AVI-SPL and Matternet also plan to integrate the drone delivery service more broadly across AVI-SPL’s supply chain network to reduce road transportation and improve efficiency in dense metropolitan markets.
John Murphy, COO at AVI-SPL, said the partnership is aimed at finding new ways to support technicians in the field and improve customer experience. He said autonomous drone delivery could improve responsiveness, reduce transportation delays and create new service capabilities for customers.
Andreas Raptopoulos, Founder and CEO of Matternet, said drone delivery could change time-critical B2B logistics by allowing technicians to receive parts within minutes instead of waiting for hours. He said this could help jobs be completed faster and at a lower cost.
The partnership adds another enterprise use case for Matternet as it expands its commercial drone delivery network. In July, Matternet partnered with Beeline UAS to expand its US network, with the companies initially focusing on Beyond Visual Line of Sight operations in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles. Beeline joined Ameriflight and UPS Flight Forward as a Part 135 operating partner in the Matternet network.
Matternet has also expanded its supply chain expertise as it scales its commercial operations. In July, the company appointed Sanjay Shah, Executive Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer at Starbucks, to its Board of Directors. Shah has previously held senior positions at Gopuff, Beyond Meat, Tesla, Amazon and Dell.
The company raised about $33 million through a private placement in May as part of a reverse merger that took Matternet public. The company said the funds would support its next-generation drone delivery platform and expansion across food, retail and healthcare.
Matternet has conducted more than 60,000 commercial flights across urban and suburban areas in the US and Europe. Its commercial operations began with humanitarian delivery missions in 2014 before expanding into healthcare logistics in Europe and the US. The company has developed the Matternet M2 drone, Matternet Station and Matternet Software Platform for urban and suburban drone logistics.
In May, Matternet also partnered with Amprius Technologies to improve the range and performance of its autonomous drones. Amprius silicon anode battery cells are already being used in Matternet’s M2 aircraft, while further work is planned for its next-generation drone platform.
