Guardian Agriculture, a developer of electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) systems for commercial-scale sustainable farming, today announced that it has become the first eVTOL manufacturer to begin commercial operations. Guardian recently began operating four of its aviation-grade eVTOL aircraft, spraying crops in the Salinas Valley region of California.
A single Guardian eVTOL system can cover up to 60 acres per hour, can carry a 200-pound payload, and has a combined tank fill and supercharge time of less than 1 minute.
Guardian is operating in a global commercial agriculture segment valued at $65 billion annually.
"This is a watershed moment for sustainable farming and a giant leap forward for eVTOL technology," said Guardian Founder and CEO Adam Bercu. "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."
In March 2023, Guardian received approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate its aircraft nationwide, making it the first commercially authorized eVTOL of any kind in the U.S. In addition to receiving its FAA approval, Guardian is also a member of the FAA's Integration Partnership Agreement, which advises the FAA on how to incorporate eVTOLs into the National Airspace System.
Guardian's eVTOL platform – which already has more than $100 million in customer orders – is the only autonomous, electric, aerial crop protection system designed specifically for large-scale agriculture. Guardian designs and manufactures its system entirely within the U.S.
Founded in 2017, and with offices in Massachusetts and California, Guardian has raised more than $20 million in funding. Guardian's leadership team includes engineering, autonomy, and manufacturing leaders that previously held senior-level positions at Apple, BAE, Sikorsky, Righthand Robotics, Tesla, and Uber.
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