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Unmanned Defence Systems (UDS), a leading Lithuanian defense & dual-use technology company, secured €3.2 million in funding from a group of private investors, led by VC fund Coinvest Capital.
Seasoned aerospace entrepreneurs with a proven track record and distinguished careers in steering novel technological innovations - Vytenis Buzas, one of the creators of the first Lithuanian satellite "Lituanica SAT-1" and the space mission leader, and Ernestas Kalabuckas, "Lithuanian CTO of the Year 2022" - are taking top leadership positions at UDS and contributing personally €1.1 million to the company.
Coinvest Capital, with a group of accredited 7 business angels and NGL angel syndicate of 41 private investors, is co-investing a total of €1.6 million with a fund’s share of €0.9 million.
Unmanned Defence Systems is an advanced swarm technology solutions company, focusing on the AI-based integration of swarm drones with contemporary battlefield management systems (BMS). UDS has also designed its own fleet of UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), ranging from reconnaissance drones Partisan to loitering munition and FPV drones. The mix of the company’s proprietary expertise, and the fusion of advanced in-house AI, robotics, and space technology skills place the team well ahead of its competitors.
The company has already won multiple defense procurement tenders and supplies its solutions to the Lithuanian and Ukrainian armed forces, other EU members, and NATO allies.
Investments will be directed to continue developing proprietary swarm technologies, fostering advancements in drone autonomy and inter-drone coordination, strengthening NATO’s military capacity, and aligning it with the demands of 21st-century warfare. Drone swarms with advanced sensors and cutting-edge AI-driven data processing capabilities can revolutionize situational awareness, providing military commanders with unprecedented real-time intelligence, inherent adaptability, and versatility, that can swiftly respond to changing conditions on the battlefield.
Vytenis Buzas, nominated Executive Chairman of the Board, says: “We have the ambition to prove to the world that Lithuania is as great in developing high-tech military UAVs, as we are in aerospace or lasers. I am confident in the engineering talent of our team, including PhDs in aerodynamics, electronics, and physics, who also happen to be world champions in sports gliding and radio-controlled planes in their free time. Moreover, the team is united by a burning inner drive to help Ukrainians win this brutal war.”
Ernestas Kalabuckas, incoming CTO (Chief Technology Officer), adds: “War in Ukraine has demonstrated a transformative potential of UAVs, even those not yet functioning in swarms. They play pivotal roles in intelligence gathering, surveillance, and precision strikes. We are grateful to our military partners in Ukraine for running frequent tests together in the actual warzone, enabling agile and swift technology upgrades in response to the constantly changing conditions on the battlefield.”
At NGL we invest in startups via investment syndicates because there are many benefits of sharing competences, risks, and costs when investing in startups. First of all, it helps attract more and better deal flow due to the combined larger ticket. It also allows angels to invest smaller sums per startup, making more deals, building a portfolio, and diversifying. We also make collective analysis and decisions leveraging the expertise of our investor group.