Serial entrepreneur Bobby Healy’s drone delivery business Manna is creating 50 jobs in Dublin’s Balbriggan area.
The company, which former CarTrawler executive Healy founded in 2018, already has 103 employees and will hire the new Balbriggan team of up to 50 people to meet demand for the service.
Manna plans to launch across Ireland in 2022 and in Europe in 2023.
In terms of expansion, Healy said it has “rapid growth plans,” adding that it plans to have a “full international rollout in 2023.”
Tánaiste and Enterprise Minister Leo Varadkar welcomed the new jobs.
“Manna is a great example of a local Irish company at the forefront of a high potential growth industry.
“This year Manna has added 50 new jobs in Balbriggan and I know it has an ambitious expansion plan going forward.”
Manna has raised over $30 million from investors including Molten Ventures, Atlantic Bridge and Elkstone.
The company works with more than 30 suppliers, including well-known names, Samsung, Tesco, ice cream brand Ben & Jerry’s, Coca-Cola and JustEat.
Manna has said one of its planes can make 100 deliveries a day and has claimed four of its drones can serve Balbriggan’s entire population of 35,000.
Manna has also expanded its team in the US, with the company now evaluating different launch sites.
Test flights in the USA are also planned for this year.
“We plan to fly in the US in 2022,” US Manna chief Andrew Patton said in an interview with the publication DroneLife.
“The challenge for us in the US is that the regulatory environment is a bit
behind what it is in Europe.
“We currently have several issues to consider. The Federal Aviation Administration’s view of what is feasible is taken into account.
“We will seek waivers and exemptions so we can do as much as we can.”
Patton said in the interview that it is too early to release details of Manna’s proposed US expansion plans.
