Kamay Ventures announced a new investment in Aerialoop, an urban drone delivery airline. The Ecuadorian startup uses these unmanned aerial vehicles to reach areas with difficult access, such as the Amazon or between Caribbean islands for fast deliveries. With this drone technology, the company is able to link remote geographic areas and reduce delivery time, reduce CO2 emissions by 90%, and expand delivery areas.
Aerialoop has recorded sustained growth, and in the last twelve months has developed a capacity of 300 flights per week. Today it has two commercial routes in Ecuador, where it has made around 10,000 flights. It has also expanded its activity to Peru, Honduras and Uruguay and by the end of 2022 it expects to obtain five more permits.
“What we have learned in these two years is that when the 2-hour delivery time becomes 5 minutes, you are not changing a logistical problem, you are changing an entire supply chain,” says Pedro Meneses, CEO of Aerialoop.
The executive adds that they aim to improve logistics with drones in the region, taking advantage of the enormous growth potential.
Aerialoop started working with Rappi, and offers its services to Fedex for high value products transportation. “A truck is very expensive to operate as you have to wait a whole day for it to fill up enough to make the delivery. Drones, on the other hand, are so fast, efficient and low-cost that you can ship on-demand, i.e., as they arrive, they leave. In fact, we take off every 7 minutes”, explains the startup’s CEO.
With the capital injection received from Kamay Ventures, Aerialoop expects to meet 3 important milestones for them: accelerate the development of a rain and wind proof drone; continue applying for permits in different countries and open commercial operations in other geographies.
For Meneses, drone logistics will be part of the supply chain of companies, but the challenge is to make it happen now and not in the next 10 or 20 years.