Estonian Startup Lendurai Secures €5.57 Million Seed Funding for AI Drone Navigation
Lendurai, a Tallinn-based startup specializing in defense and autonomous solutions for UAVs operating in GPS and radio denied environments, has secured €5.57 million in seed funding. The funding round was led by Expeditions Fund, with participation from HCVC and Vsquared Ventures.
Founded in 2024 by Siim Maivel, Mark Cowan, and Sergii Kharagorgiiev, Lendurai provides cost-effective, autonomous navigation solutions for NATO and allied forces, utilizing readily available, mass-produced hardware. Their platform offers GPS-independent operation and interchangeable payloads, ensuring flexibility in complex environments.
First-Person View (FPV) drones can be cost-effective but require extensive support, often involving four operators and eight technicians. In spite of this, up to 70% of these UAVs fail due to radio jamming. Unlike traditional FPV drones, Lendurai’s UAVs operate reliably in signal-denied areas with minimal support, reducing ownership cost. Tested in conflict zones, these systems require just two days of training, enhancing efficiency and affordability. Lendurai’s systems are NDAA-compliant and suitable for both military and commercial use. As GPS jamming becomes more common, especially along Europe’s eastern frontier, drones that can operate autonomously are crucial for industries like energy and agriculture.
“At Lendurai, we’re developing high-performance autonomous solutions that are reliable, scalable, and combat-proven. Our on-board autonomy enhances every drone’s capabilities, enabling them to think faster, react smarter, and deliver consistent results—even in the most challenging electronic warfare environments,” stated Siim Maivel, co-founder and CEO of Lendurai, formerly Head of AI at Bolt.
The funding will facilitate Lendurai in scaling existing products, expanding global sales and business development, and doubling the engineering team to focus on machine learning, simulators, and control.