Guardian Agriculture raises $20M for crop-dusting drones

Guardian Agriculture, which makes large crop-dusting drones, raised a $20 million series A round.

Why it matters: Commercial farmers are looking to protect crops more efficiently and cost effectively. Guardian's larger unmanned drone can cover a wide area for the same or less than it costs to hire a manned plane.

Details: The funding will be invested in moving toward commercial operations and getting Guardian's first aircraft to its first spray customer, Wilbur-Ellis, this summer, Guardian CEO Adam Bercu said.

• Fall Line Capital led the round.

How it works: Guardian's drone is much larger and more sophisticated than a typical drone. It's actually classified as an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

• It was the first eVTOL approved for commercial deployment in the U.S. by the Federal Aviation Administration.
• Bercu says the Massachusetts-based Guardian already has $100 million in orders, including an order for 400 systems from Wilbur-Ellis.

Zoom in: In a world where well-funded urban air taxis are a distant dream, Guardian's eVTOL crop sprayer is already deploying its drones across the commercial ag industry.

Be smart: It's a tough funding market for climate tech, but startups with a line of commercial customers can break through.

What we're watching: Guardian will need to raise more funding, including project financing, to move into commercial production at its factory outside of Boston.

• "This is our Roadster," said Bercu, referring to Guardian's first electric crop-spraying drone, the SC-1, "and we want to move over to the Model S."

Editor's note: This story was updated to include additional context.