AVI-SPL has partnered with Matternet to introduce autonomous drone delivery for critical equipment and replacement parts across metropolitan markets, combining AVI-SPL’s service, integration and supply chain network with Matternet’s autonomous delivery technology.
The companies said the solution is designed to get equipment and replacement parts to field technicians within minutes. By shifting selected deliveries from roads to the air, the partnership aims to reduce delays associated with traffic and congestion in urban and suburban areas.
AVI-SPL is a digital enablement solutions provider serving organisations worldwide with collaboration, audiovisual (AV) and unified communications (UC) technology solutions, as well as managed services.
The new delivery capability is expected to be particularly useful for AVI-SPL installers and technicians operating in busy downtown locations, where road congestion can make urgent parts deliveries difficult. Faster drone deliveries could also support premium service offerings by enabling quicker response times and tighter service-level agreements for customers requiring higher levels of support.
Beyond individual deliveries, AVI-SPL and Matternet intend to expand the service across AVI-SPL’s wider supply chain network. The objective is to reduce reliance on road transportation while improving operational efficiency in dense metropolitan markets.
John Murphy, COO at AVI-SPL, said the partnership reflects the company’s search for new ways to support technicians in the field while improving the customer experience. According to Murphy, autonomous drone delivery could increase responsiveness, reduce transportation-related delays and create new service capabilities for customers.
Matternet Founder and CEO Andreas Raptopoulos said autonomous drone delivery has the potential to reshape time-critical B2B logistics. Instead of waiting hours for a replacement part, technicians could receive it within minutes, potentially allowing jobs to be completed faster and at a lower cost.
The agreement also adds another enterprise application to Matternet’s expanding commercial drone delivery network. In July, Matternet partnered with Beeline UAS to extend its US network, initially targeting Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles. Beeline became the latest Part 135 operating partner within the Matternet network, joining Ameriflight and UPS Flight Forward.
Matternet has simultaneously been strengthening its supply chain expertise as it scales its commercial operations. In July, the company appointed Sanjay Shah, Starbucks’ Executive Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer, to its Board of Directors. Shah has also held senior positions at Gopuff, Beyond Meat, Tesla, Amazon and Dell.
The company raised approximately $33 million through a private placement in May as part of a reverse merger that brought Matternet to the public markets. Matternet said the funds would be used to support its next-generation drone delivery platform and its expansion into food, retail and healthcare.
The company has completed more than 60,000 commercial flights across urban and suburban areas in the US and Europe. Its commercial activity began with humanitarian delivery missions in 2014 before expanding into healthcare logistics in Europe and the United States.
Matternet has developed an integrated technology ecosystem for urban and suburban drone logistics, including the Matternet M2 aircraft, Matternet Station and Matternet Software Platform.
In May, Matternet also announced a partnership with Amprius Technologies aimed at increasing the range and performance of its autonomous drones. Amprius silicon-anode battery cells are already being used in Matternet’s M2 aircraft, while additional development is planned for the company’s next-generation drone platform.
The AVI-SPL partnership therefore places autonomous drone delivery directly into an enterprise service and field-support environment, adding another potential application for Matternet’s technology as the company expands its commercial network across multiple industries.
