Guardian Agriculture
CEASED OPERATIONS Aug 2025 · first eVTOL ag drone authorized in US
Stated by the operator, not checked by us
CEASED OPERATIONS August 2025 after failing to secure additional funding. Was the first eVTOL aircraft authorized for commercial US agricultural operations (April 2023). Raised $51.7M. Named Time Best Inventions 2024. Operated the Guardian SC1 (eVTOL, 200 lb payload, 20-gal tank, 18-ft spray boom). Founded 2017 in Woburn, MA.
Operations are based in the Southeast region.
Services offered
Pricing context for the crops Guardian Agriculture services
Typical 2026 per-acre rates for drone spraying by crop, based on US ag drone industry data. Contact the operator for a quote on your specific fields.
- Drone spraying for orchards$20 to $35 per acre
- Drone spraying for grapes / vineyards$18 to $30 per acre
Crops serviced
Certifications & compliance
The operator told us each of these. Anything we matched against a public record is shown with the date we checked it, at the top of this page.
States served (1)
Aerial pesticide licensing in states served
Every state requires a pesticide applicator license with the aerial category endorsement on top of FAA Part 137. The agencies that issue these licenses in Guardian Agriculture's service area:
- Massachusetts — aerial pesticide work runs through Massachusetts MDAR under Category 11: Aerial Application.
Full agency, exam and renewal-cycle details by state are catalogued on the state pesticide licensing reference.
Verify and resources
Primary-source references for verifying credentials and looking up state-specific rules in Guardian Agriculture's service area.
Frequently asked questions
Guardian Agriculture should carry three credentials before any commercial pesticide application by drone in Massachusetts: an FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate for the pilot in command, an FAA Part 137 Agricultural Aircraft Operator Certificate for the business, and a state aerial-category pesticide applicator license. In Massachusetts the state credential is issued by Massachusetts MDAR; you can ask the operator for the applicator license number and verify it with the agency directly. A current certificate of insurance with chemical drift coverage and the operator's Section 44807 exemption number are reasonable to request alongside the license itself.
Typical drone spraying rates of $18 to $35 per acre in the region typically covers the application itself: drone calibration, GPS-guided mission planning, mixing and loading product into the tank, the labor and machine time to fly the field, and a written FIFRA Part 170 application record (date, time, product, EPA reg number, rate, weather, field ID). Pesticide product, surfactants and adjuvants are usually supplied by the farmer and excluded from the per-acre rate. Common surcharges include long travel past the operator's standard radius, after-hours or emergency turnaround, fields with steep terrain or significant obstructions, and minimum-acreage charges below a stated field size. Get inclusions and exclusions in writing before any application.