Paul Connolly (L), head of hardware engineering, Manna Air Delivery, gives a guided tour through the manufacturing workshop to Peter Burke, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment at the Dublin HQ of Manna Air Delivery
Photo by Julien Behal
Manna to create 400 jobs
DRONE delivery company Manna is set to create 400 jobs following €43 million raised in the latest funding round that will drive growth at the company.
The roles will be created across a number of functions, specifically focusing on robotics, software engineering, mechanical engineering, aviation operations, ground operations and regulatory functions, with a strong focus on STEM disciplines.
The positions will be based across Manna’s Irish operational hubs and its expanding US operations, expecting the company’s total global headcount from 170 to over 570.
The company has sought to expand to new sites in Dublin, including Tallaght and Dundrum but has encountered significant opposition locally.
Chief executive Bobby Healy, a Rathfarnham resident, said the number of jobs located in Ireland would depend on a few factors.
“Ireland is the foundation of everything we do. We design and build our drones here, develop our software here, and have spent seven years refining our operations in communities across the country,” said Healy.
“These 400 new roles are high-quality STEM positions and we’re competing with some of the largest companies in the world and winning.
“This investment allows us to scale, in Ireland and across the United States where we already fly in Texas. A number of American cities and states there have been very enthusiastic about the potential of aerial delivery for logistics and communities.”
Healy noted the implementation of the drone framework, which will give local authorities and companies in the drone delivery market more certainty by establishing a national structure for drone operations.
The Series B funding round, which was led by Ark Invest, the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) and Schooner Capital, brings the total amount raised by the company to €868 million.
Existing investors Coca-Cola HBC, Molten Ventures and Enterprise Ireland also took part in the round.
The company has already completed more than 250,000 deliveries of books, medical supplies such as antigen tests, food and clothing, including 60,000 deliveries at its Dublin 15 base, and has expanded its operations to Texas and Finland.
It has plans to open more bases in Ireland, concentrating on locations outside the capital.
Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Peter Burke welcomed the news.
“This announcement by Manna Air Delivery represents a powerful endorsement of Ireland’s standing as a global centre for innovation and advanced manufacturing,” he said.
“The creation of so many highly-skilled positions across robotics, software engineering, aviation and regulatory disciplines underscores the depth and quality of Ireland’s Stem [science, technology, engineering and mathematics] talent base and the ability of indigenous Irish firms to compete on the global stage in pioneering sectors such as autonomous aviation.
