Amprius Technologies, the Fremont-based maker of high-energy-density silicon anode batteries, has announced a partnership with Matternet, one of the few drone delivery companies to hold both FAA Type Certification and Production Certification. The collaboration will see Amprius supply its SiCore® lithium-ion cells for Matternet’s autonomous delivery drones, a move that could meaningfully extend the range, payload capacity, and turnaround speed of commercial drone logistics networks.

The deal marks Amprius’s latest foray into the unmanned aviation sector, where it already supplies drone delivery platforms operated by Nokia Drone Networks, Nordic Wing, and several undisclosed defence customers. For Matternet, whose M2 drones ferry medical supplies and retail packages across urban corridors in the United States and Europe, the partnership addresses one of the most stubborn constraints in autonomous aerial logistics: battery performance.

Why silicon anodes matter for drone delivery

Conventional lithium-ion drone batteries rely on graphite anodes, which impose hard limits on energy density and, by extension, on how far and how fast a drone can fly while carrying a useful payload. Silicon can store roughly ten times more lithium ions than graphite, which translates directly into lighter battery packs, longer flight times, and heavier permissible cargo. Silicon anode technology has been the subject of intense R&D across the battery industry, with multiple startups and incumbents racing to commercialise the chemistry at scale.

Amprius’s SiCore cells deliver up to 450 Wh/kg and 1,150 Wh/L, with third-party validation confirming figures as high as 500 Wh/kg and 1,300 Wh/L. Those numbers represent a significant leap over mainstream drone batteries, which typically sit in the 200–270 Wh/kg range. The cells also support high discharge rates for the burst power needed during takeoff and rapid charging down to roughly six minutes to 80% capacity, a critical advantage for delivery operations that depend on fast turnaround between flights.

Matternet’s expanding logistics ambitions

Matternet has built one of the most operationally mature drone delivery networks in the world. It holds the first FAA Type Certification ever granted for a drone delivery system, and it has completed tens of thousands of commercial flights transporting medical samples, pharmaceuticals, and retail goods. Its recent partnerships underscore an aggressive growth trajectory: in April 2026 it struck a strategic alliance with SoftBank Robotics America to scale drone delivery across healthcare, retail, and enterprise logistics, and it launched NHS drone deliveries in central London, connecting major hospital campuses with autonomous last-mile aerial routes.

Yet for all that momentum, battery limitations remain the sector’s primary bottleneck. Matternet’s M2 drones carry payloads of up to two kilograms over distances of up to 20 kilometres on a single charge. Integrating Amprius’s higher-energy cells could extend that operational envelope considerably, enabling heavier payloads, longer routes, or some combination of both, without increasing the drone’s overall weight.

The NDAA compliance angle

The partnership also carries a strategic subtext that goes beyond raw performance metrics. Amprius is NDAA-compliant, meaning its batteries satisfy the requirements of the National Defense Authorization Act for use in US government and defence applications. As federal agencies and healthcare systems increasingly scrutinise the provenance of drone components, particularly batteries, domestic battery supply chains have become a significant factor in procurement decisions.

Amprius manufactures its silicon anodes and cells at its Fremont headquarters and has secured over 2.0 GWh of contract manufacturing capacity through partnerships with US-based Nanotech Energy and the Amprius Korea Battery Alliance, all structured to maintain NDAA-compliant supply chains. For Matternet, whose drone delivery clients include hospitals, health systems, and potentially government agencies, sourcing batteries from a US-based, NDAA-compliant manufacturer reduces regulatory risk and strengthens the pitch to security-conscious buyers.

A crowded but growing market

The commercial drone delivery market is entering a period of rapid expansion. Analysts at Gartner have projected that more than a million delivery drones could be operating worldwide by 2026, up from roughly 20,000 just a few years prior. Amazon, Walmart, Wing, and Zipline are all scaling their own aerial logistics operations, and the competitive pressure to improve range, payload, and reliability is intensifying.

Amprius has positioned itself as a preferred battery supplier to this ecosystem. Its Q1 2026 revenue reached $28.5 million, up 2.5 times from the same quarter a year earlier, and the company has raised its full-year 2026 revenue outlook to at least $130 million. Its customer roster now spans unmanned aviation, manned aviation, light electric vehicles, and defence, with drone and UAS applications remaining the core revenue driver.

For Matternet, the Amprius partnership is the latest in a series of moves to ensure its platform remains technically competitive as the delivery drone market matures. For Amprius, it represents another high-profile validation of silicon anode chemistry in a real-world, revenue-generating application. Whether the partnership ultimately shifts the competitive dynamics of drone delivery will depend on execution, but the underlying logic is sound: better batteries make better drones, and better drones make commercial aerial logistics viable at scale.