Delivery drones are all over the news, but no one has solved some of the practical issues with getting packages via air, like a designated landing spot. Enter Valqari, a Chicago-based start-up and its patented Smart Drone Delivery Mailbox, a universal drone receptacle for package delivery and pick-up. Backed with a strong international patent portfolio, the smart mailbox features agnostic capabilities to ensure seamless integration and communication with any drone manufacturer during a fully-automated delivery process. It is a concept that gives Valqari the ability to revolutionize drone deliveries for industries including pharmaceuticals, meal delivery and grocery services, governments and residential e-commerce.
This technology also puts Valqari ahead of major players, like Google, Amazon and Uber, when it comes to the end process of a drone delivery. To date, it is the only drone delivery solution to be issued utility patents in 13 countries and territories including: the U.S., the U.K., Germany, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Australia, South Africa, and several other countries in the European Union. This blocks competitors from entering the smart drone delivery mailbox market in these regions and positions Valqari as a true global leader.
“We knew the biggest hurdle facing drone delivery was that there was no standardized, safe and secure landing area. This gave us a clear vision from the start that our mission would be to provide the missing piece to the last stage drone delivery process,” said Valqari’s CEO and co-founder Ryan Walsh. “As a result, we beat major global companies in developing the winning solution with our Smart Drone Delivery Mailbox. In 2013, we saw that no one else had developed this technology, which is why it was critical for us to put a stake in the ground by immediately applying for utility patents to make us the only smart mailbox option for commercial and residential use.”
Valqari’s innovation gives drone delivery providers a safe landing area by using two-way communication technology to eliminate risks related with total automated drone delivery. It will provide Valqari’s prospective partners a complete end-to-end delivery solution and offer future users reduced shipping costs, increased market penetration, reduced liabilities and a secure chain of custody.
This comprehensive solution is the result of four years of development by Ryan Walsh and fellow Valqari co-founder Alexander Falesch. Back in 2013, the two realized the quickly approaching reality of drone deliveries. Through vigorous research and testing, they created a secure and practical answer for the final few inches of delivery since no other drone delivery application was addressing the need. In 2017, their vision became a reality with the Smart Drone Mailbox concept and Valqari was officially founded.
