Sauk Rapids Based Startup BuzzCare Hopes to Launch Rural Drone Delivery Service for Prescription Medication

(KNSI) – A Sauk Rapids-based startup hopes to use drones to deliver prescription medication to rural people living in so-called pharmacy deserts.

BuzzCare Drone Services founders Stephen Rider and Levi Bosshart are working on launching a pilot program to make it happen.

According to the company, about 48.4 million Americans live ten miles or more from a pharmacy with no easy access to medicine. According to data from the Minnesota Department of Health, since 2013, 44% of all pharmacies, including 61% of independent pharmacies, have closed.

Rider explained to KNSI News they’re looking to raise $25,000 for a partnership with the University of North Dakota to solve one of the biggest barriers to making the company a success; a multi-payload drop system. “There are not a lot of solutions in the market for drones to be able to make multiple deliveries in a single flight. So, in pairing with the University of North Dakota, we are creating that from the ground up. Our engineer currently has a prototype, and the university is going to help bring this to commercialization.”

Rider believes their company would fill a void. “There’s still not a lot of rural delivery that’s really going on anywhere in the country. Most of it is focused on those high-population-density areas, but we’re certainly the first in the Midwest to focus on this. We may be the only company currently focusing on exclusively rural delivery right now.”

The company plans to make money by charging an $8.00 delivery fee, which they hope would be covred by insurance or the pharmacy.

He says there are still multiple steps to go before the concept can take off, including getting approval from the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy.

In April, the company made its first formal pitch at the FastLane 94 Trailblazer Challenge, a regional startup competition in St. Cloud, where it won second place and a $1,000 prize. The team has also advanced to the semifinals in the 2025 Minnesota Cup, the state’s premier startup contest, after being selected this spring.

To donate, click here.

___