Matternet has announced M3, its next generation autonomous drone delivery platform, as it looks to position drone delivery as an accessible infrastructure layer for instant logistics across food, retail, healthcare and industrial applications.
M3 is based on dedicated delivery micro-hubs that can be installed on rooftops of restaurants, retailers and hospitals, the company said. The system is designed to be completely automatic, with no operator present and no human interaction with the aircraft.
In the M3 model, the sender inserts a bag or package in the M3 Portal and departs. Then the platform takes care of the complete delivery process by itself without human intervention, letting the shipment fly.
“The M3 platform is the next step in our evolution of urban air mobility,” said Andreas Raptopoulos, Founder and CEO of Matternet.
“We started Matternet with the vision of adding a new layer of transportation to our cities. M2 has demonstrated that it can be done safely for some of the most demanding use cases in the world. “M3 is how we scale drone delivery into an infrastructure layer that anyone can tap into and everyone can rely on,” he said.
3 parts self-governing system
The M3 platform consists of three major components.
The M3 Aircraft is capable of delivering packages weighing up to 11 pounds within a 10-mile service radius, without requiring active control during the mission.
The M3 Dock stores and charges the aircraft between flights, while the M3 Portal serves as an off-grid drop box where multiple packages can be dropped off for collection and delivery.
Matternet’s grander goal is to make drone delivery a reliable, inexpensive utility that can be integrated into standard logistics.
Dave’s Hot Chicken has been selected by the company as an initial launch partner for M3 in the US, with Apian to launch in the UK. Apian is currently operating a drone delivery network for the National Health Service in Central London.
Matternet expects to announce additional M3 partnerships in the upcoming months and is targeting applications with high volumes and demand for instant delivery.
Commercial launch anticipated in 2027
Matternet is aiming for commercial M3 operations in the second half of 2027. The company also intends to set up US-based manufacturing capacity for the new aircraft.
Its expansion strategy will also include leveraging a strategic partnership with SoftBank Robotics America announced in April 2026 to develop and expand delivery networks across the US and other key markets.
M3 builds on Matternet’s more than 10 years of operational experience including the company’s M2 platform. The M2 is the first drone delivery system to be awarded both Type Certification and Production Certification from the US Federal Aviation Administration.
Matternet already runs commercial drone delivery networks across the US and Europe, for uses ranging from healthcare and logistics to residential deliveries.
The company is developing commercial drone delivery systems for urban and suburban areas. Its M2 platform is still the only drone delivery system to obtain standard Type Certification and Production Certification from the US Federal Aviation Administration, while M3 aims to propel the company’s tech to fully autonomous, large-scale aerial delivery.
