How to Invest in Zipline Instant Delivery & Logistics

Zipline Instant Delivery & Logistics is a company that designs, makes, and operates the largest drone delivery network in the world.

In 2014, Zipline was created to deliver medicine to hospital patients in critical condition. Since then, it has grown into a vast commercial drone delivery system that runs on an autonomous logistics network.

Zipline drones deliver medicine, food, products, and other goods to hospitals, businesses, and homes. To date, Zipline has delivered over 12 million items and its drones have flown more than 85 million miles.

Undoubtedly, drones are the future of delivery — they're faster, cheaper, more accurate, autonomous, and can work 24/7. Plus, they're better for the environment. Zipline's delivery system produces up to 97% fewer emissions than gas-powered delivery vehicles.

I don't need to convince you how valuable drones will be for businesses and their customers in the future. The only question is: how can you invest in Zipline stock now?

Is Zipline publicly traded?

Zipline is not publicly traded, which means you can't buy it in your regular brokerage account.

There is no Zipline stock symbol because it's still a private company that hasn't yet made its shares available to the public via an initial public offering (IPO).

Rumors have been circulating that Zipline will have its IPO sometime in the near future.

However, if you're not willing to wait for it to become publicly traded, there is a way to buy Zipline stock before its IPO.

How to buy Zipline stock in 2024

Are you an accredited or retail investor?

You qualify as an accredited investor if you meet one of the following criteria:

• You have an annual income of $200,000 individually or $300,000 jointly
• Your net worth exceeds $1,000,000 (excluding your primary residence)

If you're an accredited investor, the first section is for you. If you don't qualify as an accredited investor, skip to the second section, which is for retail investors.

How to buy Zipline stock as an accredited investor

Hiive is a secondary marketplace platform which allows accredited investors to buy shares of private, VC-backed startups.

There are thousands of private companies listed on Hiive, including Zipline:

As of the time of this writing, there are 19 listings of Zipline stock available on Hiive.

Each of these listings is made by a separate seller who may be an employee, venture capital firm, or angel investor. Each seller creates their own listing, setting an ask price and quantity of shares for sale.

After registering for Hiive, buyers can see the complete order book for every company on the platform. They see all bids, asks, and recent transactions.

From there, buyers can accept a seller's asking price as listed or place bids and negotiate directly with sellers. They can also add a company to their watchlist and get notified of any new listings or transactions.

Use the button below to register and see what price shares of Zipline are trading for on Hiive:

Register for Hiive

How to invest in Zipline stock as a retail investor

If you're not an accredited investor, there are still ways to get exposure to Zipline's business before its IPO. The best way is via the ARK Venture Fund.

The ARK Venture Fund is a venture capital fund that invests in disruptive technology companies. It invests in both publicly- and privately-held companies, including Zipline. At the time of this writing, at 3.94%, Zipline is the 8th largest holding.

The fund has a minimum investment of $500 and has total annual fees 2.90%. It is available to all US-based investors, though only accredited investors can invest via the ARK website. Retail investors can invest via SoFi.

Additionally, Goldman Sachs (GS) participated in Zipline's Series C and D funding rounds. So, technically, you can gain exposure to Zipline by buying Goldman Sachs stock.

That said, Goldman Sachs is a $165 billion company. That means even if it owned 10% of Zipline its stake would still be worth just ~0.2% of the entire business, making it an extremely indirect way to gain exposure to Zipline. You're likely better off waiting for the company's IPO (more on that below).

Who are Zipline's competitors?

Zipline isn't the only company working on drone delivery solutions.

Here are a few other companies in the drone industry you may be interested in:

• Amazon (AMZN) is developing delivery drones through its Prime Air program to quickly transport packages to customers' homes.
• EHang (EH) focuses on creating autonomous drones for passenger transport and logistics in urban environments.
• Boeing (BA) is working on unmanned aerial vehicles, including the Loyal Wingman, for military applications.
• Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (KTOS) develops cost-effective unmanned systems for defense use, focusing on versatility and performance.
• AeroVironment (AVAV) specializes in small drones used for intelligence and surveillance primarily by military and government clients.
• Joby Aviation (JOVY) is developing electric flying vehicles intended for air taxi services in cities.
• Northrop Grumman (NOC) produces drones like the Global Hawk, which are used for military reconnaissance and surveillance.

Since each of these is a public company, these are much more accessible ways to invest in the drone industry than buying Zipline while it's still a private company.

When will Zipline IPO?

While the chances of an eventual IPO are extremely high, the Zipline IPO date has not yet been set, and the company has made no indication of a timeline for its public offering.

While the FAA has approved certain use cases, drone deliveries are still a long way from becoming mainstream. Zipline's IPO likely won't happen until these regulations are further relaxed.

After its public debut, you will be able to look up its stock symbol and buy it in your brokerage account.

If you don't have a brokerage account, we recommend Public. Invest in stocks, ETFs, Treasuries, corporate bonds, and cryptocurrencies all under the same login. Create a Public account for free here.

Who owns Zipline company stock?

To date, Zipline has raised $821 million from 42 investors.

The company's most recent round of funding came in April 2023 and raised $330 million at a valuation of $4.2 billion, a 55% increase from its previous valuation, which was set in 2021.

Some of the company's investors are Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Katalyst Ventures, Emerging Capital Partners, and Reinvent Capital, though how much of the company any of these firms own is unknown.

CEO Keller Rinaudo Cliffton and CTO Keenan Wyrobek also own stock, as do other key employees, but their exact ownership splits are also unknown.

Zipline valuation history

As mentioned above, Zipline's most recent funding round came in April 2023 and valued the company at $4.2 billion. This was up 55% from the $2.7 billion valuation it received in July 2021.

Here's a look at how its valuation has changed over time:

---

 

Frequently asked questions

Below are a few more questions people often ask about Zipline.

How can I buy Zipline stock?

Zipline stock has not been made available to the public via an IPO or SPAC. The only way to invest in Zipline currently is by investing through a platform like Hiive or investing indirectly in companies that own stakes in Zipline or will benefit from its business.

How much is Zipline stock?

Zipline stock is not yet publicly traded.

What is the Zipline stock symbol?

Zipline is still a privately held company, so there is no Zipline stock symbol.

Who owns Zipline Delivery & Logistics?

Zipline is partially owned by CEO Keller Rinaudo Cliffton, CTO Keenan Wyrobek, key employees, and about 40 other investors and investment firms.