From incubator to São Carlos

XMobots was founded in 2007 by master’s students from the University of São Paulo, inside the university’s CIETEC incubator. Its first prototype, the Apoena 1000A, was completed in 2009 with research-agency funding, and between 2010 and 2013 the Apoena 1000B surveyed some 1,000 square kilometres of Amazon deforestation around the Jirau hydroelectric dam. In 2011 the company moved to São Carlos, Brazil’s second aeronautical hub after São José dos Campos.

Farms first

The company says it was the first to get permission from Brazil’s civil aviation agency ANAC for experimental drone flights, receiving the country’s first CAVE certificate. The Nauru 500A followed in 2012, and in 2018 its Arator became the first Brazilian drone authorised for commercial operations above 400 feet. In 2019 it raised R$30 million from Confrapar and launched the Nauru 500C, which it calls the first Brazilian VTOL drone. Agriculture became the core business, sold through more than 148 resellers.

Embraer and the army

In 2022 Embraer became a shareholder, XMobots partnered with MBDA on armed drones, and in December it delivered its first Category 2 system to the Brazilian Army: three Nauru 1000C aircraft of up to 150 kg with a 7.7-metre span, hybrid propulsion and ten hours’ endurance. The workforce, under 20 in the early years, has grown to more than 640 people, according to the company.

Fabrieken

• São Carlos headquarters · São Carlos, São Paulo — Since 2011

Mensen

• Giovani Amianti · CEO

Records en primeurs

• First experimental-flight certificate (CAVE) for a drone issued by ANAC
• Arator: first Brazilian drone authorised for commercial operations above 400 ft, 2018