- Zipline has announced its decision to join hands with Toyota Tsusho Corporation, a member of the Toyota Group.
- The partnership will see the Zipline model rolled out in Japan, delivering medical supplies to even remote parts of the country.
Zipline, one of the world’s largest drone delivery service for medical supplies was founded in Rwanda in 2014.It caught international attention by becoming the first firm to deliver critical medical supplies on-demand using drones. Zipline currently covers about 260 health centres in Rwanda and targets to reach 700 health centres.
The company is owned by American investors, and the concept was first tested in Rwanda and later rolled out in other African countries like Ghana. Zipline has announced its decision to join hands with Toyota Tsusho Corporation, a member of the Toyota Group. Toyota Tsusho founded in 1948 is the trading arm of the Toyota group and operates in more than 120 countries.
The partnership will see the Zipline model rolled out in Japan, delivering medical supplies to even remote parts of the country. Zipline- Toyota Tsusho partnership will explore delivery options of pharmaceutical supplies and other critical medical supplies to remote areas, including islands in Japan.
Toyota Tsusho had previously invested in Zipline in 2018.Masato Yamanami, CEO for Automotive Division of Toyota Tsusho said that his company had a strong faith in Zipline’s technology that can impact the delivery of health care system
Speaking about the partnership, Keller Rinaudo, co-founder and CEO of Zipline remarked that this is the first step towards delivering to more than 120 million people in Japan. He added that equal access to medicine has never been more urgent and imperative, and the collaboration will explore new ways to facilitate this.
