In the story of Exodus, when the Israelites were wandering through the desert, manna miraculously appeared to save them from starvation. The word manna has gone on to refer to the appearance of food or help in any unexpected but needed situation. When looking for a name for his new drone delivery company in 2018, Bobby Healy aptly chose the name Manna. Bobby envisioned drones miraculously delivering food to customers living in the suburbs of Dublin, Ireland in 3 minutes or less. Like manna coming down from the skies.

The drone Bobby had custom designed for Manna is called the MNA-1090. It is a quadrocopter that is about the size of a computer printer with a door on the rear side to access a secure parcel containment space. A recyclable cardboard box carrying food can easily be loaded and removed from the drone’s cargo space. The MNA-1090 can safely carry a payload of up to 7lbs. With a maximum speed of around 50mph, at altitudes of 260-300ft, the drone can cover a 1.5 mile radius within minutes. On February 26, 2020, Manna announced that they had partnered up with UK food delivery giant Just Eat. Manna was all set to begin a drone delivery trial of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream and Camile Thai for Just Eat customers at the University College of Dublin campus. And then, the whole world changed.

A month after Manna announced that it was ready to begin trial drone deliveries, they had to put the operation on hold. Ireland, and the rest of the world, entered into a period of quarantine in response to the rapid spread of COVID-19. Bobby quickly realized that Manna had a critical job to perform for many people self isolating because of the global pandemic. “Drone delivery is just about getting things around,” Bobby said. “It could be a phone, a pint of ice cream, or a pint of blood.” Putting the Just Eat program on hold and restructuring logistics, Manna quickly stepped into a position to begin using the MNA-1090 drone to deliver essential supplies to those in need. “This is targeted at the elderly and the vulnerable; people who have been told to stay inside their homes,” Bobby went on to say. “What they need is critical food supplies and prescription medication, and that’s what we will deliver.”

A year later, and people have begun to adjust to a post pandemic world. Drone delivery services like Manna have been pivotal in facilitating how people access the essential items they need. Especially for people living in remote areas. Drones have been delivering food, household necessities, medications, PPEs, COVID-19 test kits, and now vaccines. After Manna’s initial drone delivery success during quarantine, they were able to develop new partnerships that reach beyond drones delivering essential supplies.

In March of 2021, Manna announced that they would be teaming up with Samsung to make product deliveries via drones in the town of Oranmore, Ireland. Customers can go to Samsung’s website to order a variety of products such as the Galaxy S21 Ultra, Galaxy Buds Pro, Galaxy Tab S7, or the Galaxy Watch 3. Though the Galaxy lineup is technically not considered “essential” merchandise, many would argue that in today’s world, things like smartphones and tablets are essential for staying connected to the rest of the world. “To be able to deliver our products to our customers within three minutes of leaving the dispatch center is a brilliant example of innovation in motion,” said Eamonn Grant, head of online for Samsung Ireland. “Superior customer experience is at the heart of what we do, and with this new service, we are embracing what we believe will be the future of retail. In the current environment, there is no better time to provide a contactless alternative to ‘click and collect,’ and we are really thrilled to be partnering with Manna to achieve this.”

Manna is working to spread its wings throughout Ireland with Samsung. They will also restart the collaboration with Just Eat as well as begin making drone deliveries of grocery items through Tesco. Since the MNA-1090 can transport a 7lb payload, the drone is positioned to be a truly viable delivery option. By adjusting to a difficult situation, Manna has been able to fulfill its vision of miraculously bringing manna from the skies. That manna has stretched beyond food for sustenance to medical supplies and now tech gadgets. Many are still getting used to the idea of receiving packages from drones. But for Bobby, it just makes sense. “In five years,” he said, “it’s going to be the most normal thing you can imagine.”

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