ABzero
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersPisa, Italy
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What ABzero does
ABzero is an Italian deep-tech startup and 2017 spin-off of Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna that has built an integrated system for the autonomous aerial transport of biomedical products. Its product stack centers on the Smart Capsule®, an IoT-enabled container compatible with 90% of commercial multicopters that carries blood, blood components, biological samples, organs, vaccines, and pharmaceuticals, with real-time sensor monitoring, AI-assisted BVLOS flight guidance, and blockchain-archived data. This is paired with SPOKE®, a web-and-mobile control platform described as the first app enabling both aerial and ground autonomous transport, and minilysis, an IoT add-on that measures hemolysis in real time during blood storage and transit. ABzero has also developed Peer2Air, a patented peer-to-peer consumer drone delivery platform backed by a network of licensed drone pilots.
The company sells primarily to Italian public healthcare institutions — hospitals, blood transfusion centers, and health authorities — through a direct enterprise sales motion structured around pilot programs, ENAC/ENAV regulatory coordination, and phased deployments. Revenue is generated through a mix of recurring service contracts for medical drone delivery, hardware/device sales of minilysis, transaction-based fees in the Peer2Air consumer network, and non-dilutive EU, ESA, and regional grants. Strategic positioning is reinforced by participation in flagship European projects (U-ELCOME, ESA SOPRANO, ESA TOPASE), partnerships with Thales Alenia Space, ENAC, ENAV, and the Italian Red Cross, and recognition including the MOST Mobility Challenge 2025. ABzero is a 1-10 person team headquartered in Pisa and Cascina, Italy, with a secondary office in Isernia, and raised a €190,000 round in July 2025 at a €4.6M pre-money valuation.
ABzero firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ABzero
- Legal name
- ABZERO srl
- Website
- https://abzero.it
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ABzero industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Medical Drone Logistics and Autonomous Healthcare Delivery
- NAICS
- Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511)
- SIC
- Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Autonomous Flight Control & Guidance Systems (UAS/Urban Air Mobility) (IMABAFAO)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Autonomy Software, AI & Mission Management (UAS/UXV) (IMABAIAH)
Keywords
Where ABzero is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Pisa
- HQ country
- Italy
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
ABzero business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Medical Drone Delivery as a Service: ABzero provides autonomous drone delivery services for blood, blood components, organs, and critical medical supplies to healthcare institutions. Revenue is generated through service contracts with hospitals, healthcare systems, and public health authorities, likely structured as recurring service fees tied to delivery volumes or subscription-based contractual arrangements. The system enables healthcare facilities to reduce logistics costs, delivery times, and CO2 emissions compared to traditional ground transport.
- Peer2Air Consumer Delivery: Peer2Air is a drone delivery network connecting senders and receivers via a platform app. Pilots earn fees per delivery based on routes managed. The platform serves as a marketplace connecting private individuals, small merchants, and potentially large retailers. Revenue may derive from platform fees on deliveries, subscription plans for pilot operators, or partnerships with retailers.
- minilysis Device / IoT Monitoring: Sale or lease of minilysis IoT devices to hospitals and blood banks for real-time quality monitoring of blood and blood derivatives during storage and transport. Revenue likely generated through device sales or a device-plus-software subscription model.
- EU / Public Funding & Project Revenue: ABzero participates in EU-funded research and development projects (U-ELCOME, SOPRANO, TOPASE, ABzero Export) receiving grants from ESA, European Commission, and regional governments (Regione Toscana). These grants fund specific development activities and provide non-dilutive capital.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | ABzero Academy Intensive Pilot Course |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
ABzero product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ABzero develops and operates an autonomous drone-based medical delivery system for transporting blood, blood components, organs, vaccines, medicines, and biological samples between healthcare facilities. The system combines the Smart Capsule® IoT-enabled payload container, the SPOKE® software control platform, and the minilysis real-time blood quality monitoring device. The company also offers the Peer2Air consumer drone delivery service and the ABzero Academy pilot training program.
Product overview
ABzero offers a modular platform system for intelligent medical logistics via drones. The core offering consists of the Smart Capsule® (the central payload container with IoT sensors and AI for autonomous flight), SPOKE® (the software control platform managing drones, routes, and monitoring via web portal and mobile app), and minilysis (an IoT add-on for real-time blood quality analysis during transport). Additionally, Peer2Air extends the technology to consumer and business drone deliveries. The system is designed for transporting blood, blood components, organs, medicines, and vaccines with autonomous, tracked, and safe delivery.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Smart Capsule: An intelligent container for safe, traceable, and automated transport of medical and biological materials via drones.
- SPOKE
- minilysis
- Peer2Air
- ABzero Academy
Products and services
- Smart Capsule® Intelligent IoT-enabled container designed for aerial drone transport of biomedical products including blood, tissues, biological samples, organs, and drugs. Equipped with sensors for real-time monitoring and secure data transmission, and AI for guidance and remote control of BVLOS flights. Compatible with 90% of commercial multicopters. Maximum volume: 540 x 320 x 260 mm. For hospitals, blood banks, and healthcare logistics providers.
- SPOKE® Platform Proprietary software platform consisting of a web portal and mobile app that enables management of both aerial and ground autonomous transportation. Monitors all control parameters from smart capsule sensors, supports drone/route/location management with real-time live monitoring, uses RSA/AES-256 encryption, and stores all data on blockchain. Registered users have personalized nominal permissions. For healthcare institutions managing drone-based medical logistics.
- minilysis First IoT device capable of quantitatively and qualitatively determining critical parameters, specifically hemolysis value, in real time during storage and transport of blood and blood derivatives. Plug-and-play device attached to blood bags that reads predictive data via a dedicated app. Reduces direct and indirect hospital costs by avoiding additional tests, diagnostic failures, and blood bag waste. For blood banks, hospitals, and transfusion centers.
- Peer2Air Drone delivery service enabling send and receive operations from homes directly to doorstep. Features patented technology including a smart chip for drone flight guidance to predetermined landing points, automated flight route opening systems, and a QR code precision landing platform. Uses a network of licensed drone pilots as delivery nodes who earn fees per delivery. Targets private individuals, small merchants, and potentially large retailers.
- ABzero Academy - Intensive Pilot Course 2-day full-immersion training program designed to certify pilots for operating the ABzero drone system for medical transport. Held at Polo Tecnologico Navacchio (Pisa), Italy. For drone pilots and professionals seeking certification to operate the ABzero autonomous medical delivery system.
Quantifiable outcome
- Reduces CO₂ emissions by 13 tonnes per million inhabitants compared to current road delivery systems
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use ABzero
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
ABzero technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability5 records
Feature6 records
ABzero partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
23 partnerships are on record, tiered key, core and supporting.
- DY | Flying DeliverykeyTechnical collaboration with DY | Flying Delivery, a Monaco-based company specializing in aeronautical solutions for complex environments. ABzero integrated its SmartCapsule onto DY's VTOL drone platforms for automated medical supply delivery in maritime environments. Successful testing included autonomous missions from port areas to vessels at anchor (stationary and in motion), validating precision, reliability, and sustainability of the integrated system.
- Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana (AOUP)keyCollaboration with AOUP for drone-based blood transport demonstrations and blood donation awareness initiatives at the Cisanello hospital. Demos featured fully automated drone missions activated by healthcare staff via the Spoke app, showcasing intra-hospital logistics improvements. Supported by AOUP transfusion medicine leadership.
- Croce Rossa Italiana (Italian Red Cross)keyJoint blood donation awareness and promotion events with AOUP and ABzero at the Cisanello hospital transfusion center. Croce Rossa volunteers supported the World Blood Donor Day 2025 event, which included drone delivery demonstrations, responding to seasonal blood donation decline patterns.
- SEA Milan AirportskeyActive collaboration within the U-ELCOME (U-space European COMmon dEpLoyment) project. SEA Milan Airports enabled the creation of an aerial logistics corridor connecting Milan Malpensa Airport Cargo City with the Varese lake district and local hospitals (Ospedale del Ponte and Ospedale di Circolo) for automated medical supply delivery.
- ENAC (Ente Nazionale per l'Aviazione Civile)keyRegulatory and institutional partner within the U-ELCOME project. ENAC provided authorization and oversight for night-time drone delivery trials at Varese Hospital and other U-ELCOME activities, enabling operations within regulated U-space air corridors.
- ENAVkeyAir navigation service provider partner in the U-ELCOME project, contributing to the integration of ABzero drone operations within Italian U-space air traffic management infrastructure.
- D-FlightcoreTechnology partner providing U-space infrastructure and flight authorization services for ABzero's drone operations within the U-ELCOME project, enabling integration with national unmanned traffic management systems.
- EuroUSC ItaliasupportingSafety and regulatory consulting partner within the U-ELCOME consortium, supporting the authorization and compliance framework for ABzero's complex urban and night-time drone operations.
- TelespaziosupportingSatellite services and navigation technology partner within the U-ELCOME project, contributing to the positioning and communication infrastructure for ABzero's BVLOS drone operations.
- Techno SkysupportingTechnology partner contributing infrastructure and systems for ABzero's drone operations within the U-ELCOME project context.
- DronussupportingDrone technology partner within the U-ELCOME project, providing hardware and operational support for automated medical delivery demonstrations.
- DroneBasesupportingOperational and technology partner within the U-ELCOME project supporting drone logistics demonstrations.
- Thales Alenia Space FrancecoreProject coordinator and space infrastructure leader for the ESA SOPRANO project. ABzero contributes real-world emergency healthcare logistics experience to the consortium developing a hybrid GNSS/5G Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) system for autonomous navigation in critical environments.
- Ecole Nationale de l'Aviation Civile (ENAC)coreCentre of excellence in civil aviation and U-space integration, collaborating with ABzero within the ESA SOPRANO project to develop resilient PNT solutions for autonomous drone navigation in complex environments.
- Fondazione LINKScoreAdvanced positioning technologies and digital innovation partner in the ESA SOPRANO project. Also partnered with ABzero for the MAUTO "News from the Near Future" exhibition, positioning ABzero within the broader mobility innovation narrative.
- LEAT – Université Côte d'AzursupportingPartner in the ESA SOPRANO project specializing in secure communications, sensor fusion, and cyber-physical systems, contributing to the resilience of ABzero's drone navigation capabilities.
- Helios Technology (Egis Group)supportingRegulatory frameworks, safety, and airspace integration specialist in the ESA SOPRANO project, supporting ABzero's navigation capabilities within evolving European drone regulatory frameworks.
- WeRobotics / Flying Labs NetworksupportingCEO Giuseppe Tortora presented the Smart Capsule to the global Flying Labs network during an international WeRobotics webinar, positioning ABzero within the international medical drone logistics community and exploring collaboration opportunities.
- Menta srlkeyCollaboration with Menta srl for multi-route drone delivery operations in the Parma Apennines. Successfully completed experimental flights between Neviano degli Arduini and Langhirano, connecting seven different routes for transport of blood and biological samples from Casa della Salute to provincial laboratories, demonstrating the system's ability to overcome geographic obstacles.
- Thales Alenia SpacecoreProject coordinator and consortium leader for the ESA TOPASE project alongside ABzero, DRONE VOLT, and Politehnica University Timisoara. TOPASE focuses on reliable UAS positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) solutions for BVLOS operations and critical use cases including medical delivery between identified points.
- DRONE VOLTcoreDrone technology partner in the ESA TOPASE consortium, contributing to the development of reliable PNT solutions for autonomous drone operations.
- Politehnica University Timisoara (UPT)supportingAcademic partner in the ESA TOPASE project contributing research expertise in UAS positioning and navigation technologies.
- Regione ToscanasupportingFunded the ABzero Export project under the 'Internazionalizzazione 2023' regional program, supporting ABzero's international expansion through market analysis, communication material adaptation, commercial network development, and participation in international trade fairs. Project successfully concluded at end of 2024.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
ABzero competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Matternet: Matternet operates autonomous urban medical drone delivery networks for hospitals and laboratories in the US and Europe (including Swiss and German deployments), making it the closest direct peer to ABzero in European hospital-to-hospital medical cargo.
- Wingcopter: German developer of autonomous VTOL delivery drones used for medical and humanitarian supply chains; competes in the same EU regulatory and hospital-buyer landscape as ABzero, including public-health and blood-delivery missions in Africa and Europe.
- Manna Aero: Manna operates autonomous BVLOS suburban drone delivery (food, parcels, healthcare items) in Ireland and the UK using a marketplace model — directly comparable to ABzero's flight system and medical/parcel dual focus.
- Zipline: Zipline is the most prominent medical drone-delivery operator globally, providing autonomous BVLOS delivery of blood, vaccines, and medical supplies to hospitals and health systems — directly comparable to ABzero's medical-logistics mission and target customer base.
- Swoop Aero: Australian operator of medical and last-mile drone delivery networks across multiple continents; a comparable peer in remote-area health-logistics and in pitching to public health authorities and NGOs.
Emerging players
- Volocopter: Developer of electric vertical takeoff aircraft for urban air mobility and emergency / medical missions; a comparable peer in autonomous aerial vehicle technology with adjacent medical-application overlap.
- Flirtey (now Mattiq): Pioneer in US medical and commercial drone delivery with FAA BVLOS approvals; comparable in mission and customer type to ABzero, though primarily US-focused.
Broad incumbents
- Wing (Alphabet): Alphabet's drone-delivery subsidiary, operating consumer and medical parcel delivery at scale in Australia, the US, and Ireland — a well-capitalized incumbent competing for regulator and customer mindshare in autonomous BVLOS operations.
- Skyports: Skyports builds and operates drone-delivery and vertiport infrastructure for medical, maritime, and passenger applications — a broader incumbent that overlaps with ABzero's urban and maritime medical delivery pursuits.
Regional players
- DRONE VOLT: French professional drone manufacturer and operator with presence in industrial inspection, agriculture, and security — a consortium partner in ESA's TOPASE project alongside ABzero and overlapping in professional UAS deployment in Europe.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
ABzero social profiles
Digital presenceABzero financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ABzero leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
ABzero funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ABzero M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ABzero
What does ABzero do?
ABzero develops and operates an autonomous drone-based medical delivery system for transporting blood, blood components, organs, vaccines, medicines, and biological samples between healthcare facilities. The system combines the Smart Capsule® IoT-enabled payload container, the SPOKE® software control platform, and the minilysis real-time blood quality monitoring device. The company also offers the Peer2Air consumer drone delivery service and the ABzero Academy pilot training program.
Is ABzero a public or private company?
ABzero is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was ABzero founded?
ABzero was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is ABzero based?
ABzero is headquartered in Pisa, Italy, in the Europe region.
How does ABzero make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Medical Drone Delivery as a Service is the primary driver. The others are peer2Air Consumer Delivery, minilysis Device / IoT Monitoring and EU / Public Funding & Project Revenue.
Who are ABzero's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Matternet, Wingcopter, Manna Aero, Zipline and Swoop Aero. Emerging players are Volocopter and Flirtey (now Mattiq). Broad incumbents are Wing (Alphabet) and Skyports. DRONE VOLT is listed as a regional player.
Does ABzero have an API?
No public API is recorded for ABzero.
What industry is ABzero in?
ABzero's product category is Medical Drone Logistics and Autonomous Healthcare Delivery. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMABAFAO, Autonomous Flight Control & Guidance Systems (UAS/Urban Air Mobility), with a secondary code of IMABAIAH, Autonomy Software, AI & Mission Management (UAS/UXV). Its NAICS code is 334511 and its SIC code is 3812.