Based in São Carlos (SP), XMobots was ranked last year as the 15th largest company in the segment and has a strong presence in agribusiness.
Many people still think that the drone is a hobby and leisure tool, used mainly for aerial filming. The reality, however, is quite different and the industry is now highly professionalized and increasingly widespread around the world. This is also true here in Brazil, which by the way already has one of the largest drone manufacturers in the world: XMobots.
Founded in 2007, XMobots, located in the city of São Carlos (SP), is the largest manufacturer in Brazil and Latin America specializing in drone design and production. Last year, the company was ranked as the 15th largest company in the segment in the world by the Drone Market Report 2020, a report produced by Drone Industry Insights, the leading research institute focused on the drone market.
"The drone market, both in Brazil and the rest of the world, is growing because more and more new applications are being found for this technology. It started in the military, then moved into mapping and is now very strong in agribusiness. The prospect is that new markets will emerge, such as inspection and logistics. We'll have at least another 10 years of strong evolution in this market," said the founder and CEO of XMobots, Giovani Amianti, in an interview with CNN Brasil Business.
Since 2016, the company has had agribusiness as the main destination for its products. "In 2020, 72% of the company's drone sales went to the agricultural sector. Last year, we launched the Dractor, the world's only drone capable of mapping and spraying flights on the same aerial platform," said Amianti. Other products from the manufacturer are the Arator and the Nauru, used for land mapping. The company also develops the software used in the drones.
"Drones have many applications in agribusiness. The products we offer are used, for example, to monitor plantations and pastures, apply herbicides and carry out topographical studies. Until recently, about a year or two ago, these tasks were carried out solely by agricultural aircraft or ground vehicles," said the CEO of XMobots, which has almost 400 clients in the Brazilian market.
According to data from the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC), there are more than 80,000 drones registered in Brazil. Amianti, however, believes that this number is much higher. "There is a very large group of users who have not registered their drones with ANAC. We believe that the Brazilian drone fleet has already surpassed the 250,000 mark, including recreational and professional models."
Estimates by Drone Industry Insights show that the global drone market is expected to earn around US$42 billion between 2020 and 2025. "It's a market with a lot of demand. XMobots has been growing by an average of 53% a year for 10 consecutive years. This year, growth is expected to reach 200%. This boost comes from agribusiness, which hasn't stopped during the pandemic," says Giovani.
"We started producing and delivering drones to customers in 2015. Since then, we have produced more than 600 drones. Almost all the inputs used by XMobots are made here in Brazil. Our nationalization rate is close to 90%. What comes from abroad are items from the semiconductor industry, such as processors and memory, as well as some parts for the electric motors. Most of these imported items come from China, the United States or Europe," said the company's founder.
Amianti told the report that XMobots' products are also attracting interest from public security forces, especially the Nauru model. "It was originally designed for surveying, but it can also have other applications such as surveillance flights. We already have contracts with the Brazilian Army".
Drone delivery
The next step for drones is to reach large urban centers as a tool for delivery services. It sounds like a fictional story, but soon it will be possible to have products delivered to our homes moments after purchasing them online with the support of an aircraft.
"The drone delivery market is in its infancy, we're still developing this technology. It's a segment that pays relatively little, so the bill still doesn't add up. To work, you need low-maintenance, long-range technology at competitive prices. Drones will still take a few years to reach this level of maturity. Other markets pay much more, such as the agricultural market and inspection or surveying services. They are the ones who are financing the evolution of commercial drones?" said the CEO of XMobots.
"There is a significant portion of the population that is willing to pay more to have a product delivered to their home on the same day they make the purchase. Drones won't be delivering pizzas any time soon, but with some value-added items this should happen soon?" predicts Giovani.
Report: Thiago Vinholes, contributor to CNN Brasil Business
Original publication: July 17, 2021 at 04:30
https://www.cnnbrasil.com.br/business/2021/07/17/por-dentro-de-uma-das-maiores-fabricantes-de-drones-do-mundo-que-fica-no-brasil