Psyche Aerospace's giant farm drone raised R$19M, failed to sell, and was killed in 2025

Psyche Aerospace raised R$19M for Harpia P-71, the 'world's largest farm drone', got no firm orders, and shut the division with 130 layoffs in 2025.

Psyche Aerospace

它在赌什么That a giant ethanol-electric drone could replace crop-dusters for spraying 500,000 hectares, and that 'world's largest' hype alone would convert into orders and capital.已经没了

做的是什么生意

Aerospace startup building Harpia P-71, an ethanol-electric agricultural spraying drone, later pivoting to AI crop monitoring.

启动资金：R$19 million raised from investors for the drone program

起因

Founded by 24-year-old Gabriel Leal in São José dos Campos (SP), Psyche announced Harpia P-71, an ethanol-and-electric drone able to carry 400 kg of crop protection, targeting up to 500,000 hectares of spraying in Brazil; it raised R$19 million and drew attention from major agribusiness names.

经过

Harpia was showcased at Agrishow and other fairs, but letters of intent never became contracts because practical field tests failed. A 2024 attempt to raise R$50 million fell short, while development consumed millions of reais per month, forcing the shutdown.

结果

On May 16, 2025 Psyche ended its drone division and laid off 130 employees. The company kept 25–30 staff in Campinas and pivoted to Turing, an AI platform that monitors crops via satellite imagery; founder Gabriel Leal said Harpia could return only with US$30–50 million in new investment.

新闻BNews SP: world's largest farm drone fails 新闻BNews Agro: startup lays off 130 after drone fails

背景

Psyche Aerospace, founded by 24-year-old Gabriel Leal in São José dos Campos, Brazil, announced the Harpia P-71: an ethanol-and-electric drone with a 400 kg payload billed as the world's largest agricultural aircraft, able to spray up to 500,000 hectares. The startup raised R$19 million and won attention from major agribusiness players.

The drone was showcased at fairs such as Agrishow, but letters of intent never became contracts because practical field tests did not deliver. A 2024 attempt to raise R$50 million failed while development consumed millions of reais a month.

On May 16, 2025 Psyche shut down its drone division and laid off 130 employees. A team of 25–30 remains in Campinas working on Turing, an AI platform that uses satellite images to detect pests and diseases in crops. Leal says Harpia could return only if investors put up US$30–50 million.

这件事要成立，得有什么

A giant hardware bet needs orders, not applause: hype at ag fairs never converted into a single firm contract.
The 2024 R$50M round failed because investors wanted proven field performance, which tests never delivered.
Development burned millions per month, so without new capital the company ran out of runway before the product worked.
Letters of intent looked like demand but were conditional on tests — a pipeline that looks full and delivers nothing.

可借鉴之处

Hype and letters of intent are not orders: Psyche scaled its drone before proving it, so when field tests failed, revenue and the next round vanished together and killed the program.

后续进展

As of mid-2025 Psyche Aerospace operated with 25–30 staff in Campinas, focused on Turing, an AI crop-monitoring platform using satellite imagery to identify pests and diseases, with a new version planned within 30 days. Founder Gabriel Leal told the press the Harpia project could be revived only if investors committed US$30–50 million; the drone remains grounded.

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