Flirtey
Pioneer of FAA-approved drone deliveries in the United States.
Flirtey, which later rebranded as SkyDrop, was a drone delivery company based in Reno, Nevada. It made history with several FAA firsts: the agency's first approved drone delivery in the U.S. (2015), its first approved urban delivery (March 2016), and its first approved commercial delivery to a customer's home (July 2016). The company also worked with NASA on developing air traffic control software for drones, and one of its drones is housed in the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.
Founded in Australia in 2013 by Matt Sweeny, Ahmed Haider, and Tom Bass, Flirtey moved to the Reno area in 2014 after partnering with the University of Nevada, Reno. In July 2015, it carried out the first FAA-approved drone delivery, bringing medical supplies to a health clinic in Wise, Virginia. The following month, it graduated from the Y Combinator seed accelerator in Silicon Valley. In March 2016, it performed the first federally sanctioned urban drone delivery without a human operator, dropping emergency supplies to a house in Hawthorne, Nevada. That June, Flirtey collaborated with Johns Hopkins School of Medicine on the first ship-to-shore drone delivery in the U.S.: a drone first carried medical samples from land to a barge in New Jersey's Delaware Bay, then returned with medical supplies to the Cape May–Lewes Ferry terminal. In July 2016, Flirtey partnered with 7-Eleven for the first fully autonomous FAA-approved home delivery, dropping a package at a residence in Reno, Nevada—marking the first time a U.S. customer received a package by drone. In January 2017, the company raised $16 million in Series A funding led by Menlo Ventures.
In May 2018, the FAA selected Flirtey as one of ten drone programs for its Integration Pilot Program, which grants expanded permissions for operations that would normally require special permits. Five of the ten selected projects involved package delivery. Flirtey worked with four of the winning applicants and planned to use drones as a first responder to 911 calls in Reno, delivering defibrillators in heart attack cases before an ambulance arrived, enabling bystanders to provide first aid. That same year, Flirtey was named to CNBC's Disruptor 50 list.
Quick Facts
- Industry
- Transportation, Delivery
- Predecessor
- <!-- or
- Successor
- SkyDrop
- Founded
- in Australia
- Founders
- Matt Sweeny (CEO), Ahmed Haider, Tom Bass
- Defunct
- 2024-02-26
- Hq Location City
- Reno, Nevada
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Flirtey was founded in Australia in 2013 by Matt Sweeny, Ahmed Haider, and Tom Bass. The company relocated to the Reno, Nevada area in 2014 after partnering with the University of Nevada, Reno. In July 2015, it completed the first FAA-approved drone delivery, delivering medical supplies to a health clinic in Wise, Virginia. In August 2015, Flirtey graduated from the Silicon Valley seed accelerator Y Combinator. In March 2016, the company flew the first federally sanctioned drone delivery in an urban area without a human operator, carrying emergency supplies to a house in Hawthorne, Nevada. Researchers from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine collaborated with Flirtey to complete the first ship-to-shore drone delivery in the United States in June 2016. In July 2016, Flirtey partnered with 7-Eleven to complete its first fully autonomous FAA-approved home delivery to a residence in Reno, Nevada. In January 2017, Flirtey raised $16 million in Series A funding led by Menlo Ventures. In May 2018, the FAA announced Flirtey as one of 10 drone programs for its Integration Pilot Program. Flirtey was included on CNBC's Disrupter 50 list in 2018. In October 2021, the company announced a partnership with Mesa Air Group involving an order of four drones with an option for 50 more. On 26 February 2024, Sweeney announced on LinkedIn that the company was shutting down.
Reader's Guide
Flirtey's significance lies in its series of firsts in FAA-approved drone delivery, establishing regulatory and operational precedents for the U.S. drone delivery industry. The company's 2015 delivery of medical supplies to a health clinic in Virginia marked the first FAA-approved drone delivery in the country. Its March 2016 urban delivery in Hawthorne, Nevada, was the first federally sanctioned drone delivery in an urban area without a human operator. The July 2016 partnership with 7-Eleven achieved the first fully autonomous FAA-approved home delivery to a U.S. customer. Flirtey also collaborated with NASA on air traffic control computer software for drones and with Johns Hopkins School of Medicine on the first ship-to-shore drone delivery in the United States. One of its drones is housed in the National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution. The company's inclusion in the FAA's Integration Pilot Program in 2018 and its later partnership with Mesa Air Group for food and beverage deliveries illustrate its ongoing role in expanding drone delivery applications. The company's shutdown in February 2024 marked the end of a pioneering but ultimately unsustainable venture.
Did You Know?
- One of Flirtey's drones is in the National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
- Flirtey raised $16 million in Series A funding in January 2017, led by Menlo Ventures.
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