XMobots has invested more than R$220 million in Brazilian defense technology

Founded in 2007 and based in São Carlos, XMobots has invested more than R$220 million in research and development for defense and security technologies. The program covers drones, sensors, artificial intelligence, navigation and control systems. According to company data, roughly R$11 million was invested between 2010 and 2022 with support from institutions such as FAPESP, Finep and CNPq; since 2022, a further R$209 million has been directed to new projects with partners including Finep, ANP, Petrobras, Repsol, Petronas and MBDA.

The São Carlos operation employs about 500 people, more than 250 of them engineers, and brings together aeronautical, mechanical and electronic engineering as well as software, AI, sensors, communications and propulsion. The factory reports capacity to manufacture more than 2,000 units per year. Its portfolio includes the Nauru drone family and the XSIS 222A electro-optical sensor; the Nauru 500C became the first VTOL authorized by Brazil’s civil aviation regulator for beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations and received approval for night flights in 2024.

The larger Nauru 1000C had its first system delivered to the Brazilian Army in December 2022. Across the family, the aircraft have accumulated about 5,000 flight hours and 5,000 operations. In January 2026, XMobots also launched an estimated R$50 million program with the Brazilian Navy and Petrobras to adapt the aircraft for naval and offshore missions. Its technology roadmap further includes GPS-independent navigation, coordinated drone swarms and the hybrid-powered Nauru 3000D, under development with projected endurance of up to 14 hours.

Read the original article at https://saocarlosemrede.com.br.