Manna Air Delivery founder hits back at ‘disingenuous commentators’ as drones firm ends Ireland ops
Bobby Healy, Founder at drone delivery specialist Manna, has taken to social media to address critics of his company’s decision to cease operations in Ireland and concentrate its growth on the US, UK and other international markets.
The company said "the lack of a clear national framework has left the sector reliant on local planning processes and created uncertainty around the infrastructure required to support drone delivery at scale".
It added that the US, UK, China and the UAE are "demonstrating rapid regulatory progress and strong commercial momentum…As a result, Manna has decided to concentrate its investment, talent and operational resources in markets where large scale drone delivery is now a reality.
The announcement came after Manna's plans for a drone aerial delivery hub in Dundrum, Dublin, were knocked back.
Critics have argued that Manna is turning its back on the country where it was founded in favour of the USA. But in a LinkedIn post, Healy slammed ‘commentators with an agenda'‘.
In a LinkedIn post, he said: “To clarify for friends of Ireland: Manna is successful because of the strong regulatory environment and hugely supportive state bodies like enterprise Ireland, IAA and Airnav. Our government and its branches have always been good to us. I thank them all. We are not ending operations in Ireland by choice. We simply don't have the planning regulations we need to be able to scale here, and so we must deploy operational growth capital where we can: the USA.”
He added: “We are keeping and growing our R&D, manufacturing, flight testing, operations and regulatory functions in Glasnevin and Offaly. Certain disingenuous commentators with an agenda are trying to make this about Manna leaving Ireland. Shame on them. We are not leaving Ireland. If I was starting again, I would build the company in Ireland again. We will proudly fly our Irish designed and manufactured electric autonomous aircraft all over the world.”
Funding round
In April, Manna Air Delivery announced a $50 million funding round to expand its operations in the United States and Europe.
This brought its total funding to $110 million. Manna lays claim to one of the most active consumer drone delivery networks in the world, with more than 250,000 regulated commercial UAV flights completed.
Investors in the round included ARK Invest, known for backing companies such as OpenAI, Anthropic, Tesla and SpaceX, the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) and Schooner Capital, alongside existing supporters Coca-Cola HBC and Molten Ventures.
Manna has operated in six locations across its native Ireland, as well as in Finland and Texas over the past seven years, delivering items including books, medical supplies such as antigen tests, food and clothing. Recently it announced a partnership with Uber, adding to its existing partnerships with Deliveroo, Just Eat and DoorDash.
Customers can order through its app or directly via its partner platforms, with autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) delivering everyday items to suburban communities within minutes.
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
Drone delivery will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.
The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.
Check out our 2025 winners here.
Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”
“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”
He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.
