A relatively new player in the crop protection space secured several million dollars in financing from some of the nation’s largest agribusiness firms after developing what they describe as the “first-ever integrated eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) system for precision application” which will use data to “reduce environmental impact and minimize product resistance.” Guardian Agriculture, came out of stealth with a $10.5 million seed round of financing led by Leaps by Bayer with participation from FMC Ventures, Wilbur-Ellis’ Cavallo Ventures, Fall Line Capital, the MIT-affiliated E14 Fund, Pillar VC and Neoteny. To date, Guardian has raised $15.5 million in total financing. Offered as a service, Guardian Agriculture’s autonomous, eVTOL agricultural systems collect and act intelligently on data generated throughout the crop protection process. When deployed at scale, “the systems are capable of eliminating hundreds of millions of pounds of unnecessary, pesticide use annually while helping farmers grow healthier, better protected crops,” according to the firm. “We believe eVTOL is the crop protection model of the future,” said Adam Bercu, CEO and Co-Founder of Guardian Agriculture. “Guardian Agriculture’s technology delivers tremendous benefits to both growers and the environment.” Each device can autonomously spray or fertilize up to 40 acres an hour on pre-planned routes. The company plans to lease the technology as a service, rather than sell it for growers to use. “This is the first new aerial technology to make a material impact on American farms,” said Mike Wilbur, CEO of Wilbur-Ellis’ Cavallo Ventures. “We believe it can be profitably, and rapidly, deployed and are looking forward to working with Guardian Agriculture to roll out their technology to our customers and partners.”
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