Key Takeaways:
- Guardian Agriculture, a Massachusetts-based startup developing eVTOL drones for farming, ceased operations in August 2025 after failing to secure additional funding.
- The closure follows earlier milestones, including FAA approval in 2023, a $20 million Series A round, and the start of commercial operations with its SC1 aircraft.
- Despite recognition as the first FAA-approved eVTOL operator in U.S. agriculture, Guardian struggled to scale adoption and build a customer base.
- The shutdown adds to a growing list of agtech bankruptcies in 2025, though the sector has also seen increased M&A activity.
- More detailed data on bankruptcies, mergers, and acquisitions is available in our industry dashboard.
Guardian Agriculture Early Achievements
Founded in 2017, Guardian Agriculture positioned itself as a pioneer in applying electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) technology to large-scale farming.
On April 25, 2023, the company secured nationwide approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), becoming the first commercially approved eVTOL operator in the country.
On June 21, 2023, Guardian announced it had raised $20 million in Series A funding, led by Fall Line Capital, to expand operations and accelerate SC1 manufacturing.
By September 12, 2023, Guardian added senior leadership capacity, appointing Matt Cherouny as vice president of Supply Chain and Manufacturing.
On December 5, 2023, Guardian reported the start of commercial operations with its SC1 drone, highlighting payload capacity of 200 lb. and efficiency of up to 60 acres per hour.
Commercialization Challenges
The SC1 drone, weighing about 600 lb. and comparable to a small SUV, was developed for aerial spraying of fertilizer and pesticides. Despite technical promise, adoption was limited. By mid-2025, MIT News reported only eight units had been produced, with just one paying customer at the time of shutdown.
Guardian Agriculture Shutdown in 2025
In late August 2025, Guardian Agriculture ceased operations after earlier summer layoffs. In an internal email obtained by The Robot Report, CEO Ashley Ferguson told employees: “We don’t have enough cash on hand to bring folks back to work next week (or cover benefits going forward). We also don’t have enough cash commitments from investors today for an advance to extend folks so we have to make the tough decision to wind down the team and Guardian, effective today.”
Ferguson added that liquidation and acquisition options were being explored, but these efforts could not solve immediate financial constraints.
Wider Industry Context
Guardian’s closure reflects broader pressures in the agtech sector. Our database has tracked over 10 bankruptcies and operational wind-downs so far in 2025, with vertical farming topping the list at six company bankruptcies. At the same time, we have seen a spike in M&A activity, with several companies acquired before announcing bankruptcy proceedings.
For readers interested in exploring these market shifts in greater detail, more data and insights are available in our industry dashboard.
