US electric drone maker begins agri spraying jobs in California

Guardian Agriculture, a manufacturer of electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) drone systems for sustainable farming, says it has started operating on behalf of customers in the Salinas Valley region of California. With this, Guardian has become the first US-based agri eVTOL drone maker to begin commercial operations. The company reportedly has more than $100 million in customer orders at the moment.

Guardian says its fully programmable spray drones help to treat crops more efficiently and safely than traditional crop-dusters or ground-based equipment. A single aircraft can cover up to 60 acres per hour, carry a 200lb payload, and has a combined tank fill and supercharge time of less than a minute.

“This is a watershed moment for sustainable farming and a giant leap forward for eVTOL technology,” says Adam Bercu, Guardian founder and CEO. “While several companies are developing eVTOL technologies, we are now the only one that has both secured FAA approval to operate commercially nationwide, and that’s actually started flying missions on behalf of paying customers.”

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Guardian was founded in 2017 and currently has offices in Massachusetts and California. It received official authorization to operate agri drones across the country in March 2023 from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The company is also a member of the FAA’s Integration Partnership Agreement, which advises the government agency on how to incorporate eVTOLs into the National Airspace System.

Additionally, Guardian is quick to assert that, unlike other agri-focused uncrewed autonomous system developers, it designs and manufactures its drones entirely in the US, supporting national competitiveness and jobs, and ensuring national security.

The company has raised more than $20 million in funding, and its leadership team includes engineering, autonomy, and manufacturing experts from Apple, BAE, Sikorsky, Righthand Robotics, Tesla, and Uber.