- Drone-backed delivery network already operating across several Hangzhou districts
- Company aims to export “ground-plus-air” logistics model nationwide
FlashEx (闪送) has secured a multi-million-yuan investment from state-owned Hangzhou Low-Altitude Industry Development Co., Ltd. (杭州低空产业发展有限公司), accelerating the Nasdaq-listed courier platform’s push into drone-enabled urban logistics as Chinese cities race to commercialize low-altitude transport networks.
The investment marks one of the clearest signs yet that Hangzhou is betting on combining instant delivery platforms with low-altitude aviation infrastructure to build a layered urban logistics system integrating drones, riders and autonomous vehicles.
Hangzhou Low-Altitude Industry Development Co., Ltd. is the city’s only local state-backed operator focused on public low-altitude traffic infrastructure and services, overseeing areas such as flight support, infrastructure operations and ecosystem development.
For FlashEx, the investment signals a shift from traditional ground-based courier operations toward a hybrid “ground-plus-air” delivery network built on its existing instant-delivery infrastructure.
Founded in 2014, the company operates an end-to-end express delivery model across nearly 300 Chinese cities. FlashEx listed on Nasdaq on October 4, 2024.
Before the investment, the two companies had already launched pilot low-altitude delivery services in Hangzhou using a three-stage relay system involving riders, drones and riders again for final handoff.
The network currently operates five drone landing sites and 14 flight routes covering districts including Yuhang, Shangcheng and Gongshu.
The companies said the service has completed about 3,500 paid orders and roughly 2,900 drone flights with what they described as a 100% safety record.
Under normal conditions, aerial delivery reportedly cuts delivery times by roughly 20% to 30% compared with traditional ground transportation.
Rather than simply licensing software systems, the partnership plans to package dispatch algorithms, operational systems and emergency-response capabilities into what the companies describe as a turnkey solution for other cities.
Across China, major urban centers including Shenzhen and Hangzhou have increasingly experimented with combining drones, delivery riders and autonomous vehicles into coordinated logistics systems.
Such drives spanned everything from emergency medical supplies to food delivery and parcel shipping.
