Expansion into autonomous drone networks

SAN FRANCISCO (April 16, 2026) -- SoftBank Robotics America today announced it has signed a strategic partnership with Matternet, a global pioneer in autonomous drone delivery systems, to accelerate deployment of last mile delivery in the U.S., and other key markets.

Last mile delivery has long faced structural challenges—labor shortages, rising costs, urban congestion, and growing expectations for speed. These pressures are forcing operators to deliver greater value at lower cost, while maintaining consistent and reliable performance. Autonomous aerial delivery is emerging as a compelling solution, with the potential to become more cost-effective at scale than traditional last mile methods.

This collaboration reflects SoftBank Robotics America’s broader strategy as a Physical AI Integrator bringing together proven technology, processes, people and programs that deliver outcomes at scale. With Matternet’s autonomous drone delivery platform, the companies are positioned to help build intelligent logistics infrastructure that could reduce delivery times, improve reliability, and lower costs for enterprise operators.

“Autonomous logistic networks are reaching an inflection point,” said Brady Watkins, President & GM, SoftBank Robotics America. “The challenge is not the technology, but rather operationalizing the technology such that it produces consistent measurable outcomes. As an integrator, our role has always been to successfully integrate and support platforms like Matternet into real-world delivery environments that drive predictable performance at scale.”

Matternet has been a pioneer in autonomous drone logistics, with major regulatory and operational milestones across the U.S. and Europe. The company is the first drone delivery company to achieve both FAA Type Certification and Production Certification, and its technology has enabled tens of thousands of commercial flights in urban and suburban environments.

“At SoftBank Robotics America, we focus on turning breakthrough technologies into large-scale, real-world deployments,” said Katya Akudovich, Vice President of New Ventures at SoftBank Robotics America. “By combining Matternet’s technology with our global commercialization capability and experience, we are creating a powerful partnership to bring the benefits of autonomous drone delivery into day-to-day operations for vertical markets such as healthcare where speed and reliability are mission critical.”

The partnership brings together SoftBank Robotics America’s proven ability to integrate and accelerate the commercialization of autonomous solutions at scale with Matternet’s leading drone delivery platform. The partnership will help customers integrate advanced aerial logistics into day-to-day operations, enabling faster, more reliable and cost-efficient delivery networks.

For more information about this release, please contact: SBRA-us-pr@softbankrobotics.com

About SoftBank Robotics America:

SoftBank Robotics America is the North American arm of SoftBank Robotics, driving technology forward by becoming a worldwide leader in robotics solutions. Headquartered in San Francisco, SoftBank Robotics America is a trusted partner and Robot Integrator that helps clients think beyond the technology, to incorporate the people and processes that solve the most pressing challenges and deliver best run operations. SoftBank Robotics America brings value and relevancy to senior living, hospitality, aviation, class A office space, multi-family, education, facilities management, and commercial cleaning. The goal is to develop a strong partnership and foundation for automation that will realize maximum strategic value on investment in robotics. For more information on SoftBank Robotics America, please visit us.softbankrobotics.com.

About SoftBank Robotics

SoftBank Robotics Group has been at the forefront of robotics technology development since the launch of its humanoid robot “Pepper” in 2014. The group has consistently introduced innovation, including autonomous cleaning robots in 2018, multi-tray delivery robots in 2021, and automated logistics solutions consulting in 2022. Leveraging extensive knowledge and operational data, SoftBank Robotics is playing a pioneering role as a Robot Integrator (RI) by providing effective robotic implementation solutions. With a global presence in 21 locations across 9 countries, SoftBank Robotics' robots are deployed worldwide. The group is committed to advancing towards a society where people and robots coexist through robots' transformation (RX).

About Matternet

Matternet is the leading developer of commercial drone delivery systems for urban and suburban environments. The company builds the Matternet M2 drone and Matternet Software Platform and operates its technology directly for customers or in partnership with logistics organizations, such as UPS. Matternet has achieved many industry firsts, including being the first company to be authorized for commercial Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone delivery operations over cities in Switzerland, the first to launch routine revenue-generating operations in the U.S., and the first to achieve standard Type Certification and Production Certification by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. Matternet is partnered with UPS and Ameriflight, who have received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to operate the Matternet M2 under Part 135. Matternet launched the world’s first humanitarian drone delivery missions in 2014, the first B2B healthcare operations in Europe in 2017 and in the U.S. in 2019, and the first drone delivery operations in Silicon Valley in 2024. To date, Matternet technology has enabled tens of thousands of commercial flights over dense urban and suburban environments in the U.S. and Europe. For more information, please visit: https://www.matternet.com/

This announcement was originally distributed via PR Newswire.
Read the original release here.