Lendurai

Lendurai is an Estonian defence-tech startup specializing in onboard autonomy systems that enable drones to navigate and operate without GPS or radio signals. Founded in 2024 and headquartered in Tallinn, the company is addressing a critical bottleneck in unmanned aerial operations—dependence on satellite navigation and remote communication—which renders many commercial and defence drones vulnerable in denied, contested, or degraded environments. Lendurai’s autonomy stack combines real-time computer vision, AI-based decision-making, and a compact sensor-driven hardware module, allowing UAVs to independently plan, adjust, and execute missions in areas where traditional control systems fail.

The company was founded by Siim Maivel (former Head of AI at Bolt), Sergii Kharagorgiiev (ex–Computer Vision Lead at Starship Technologies), and Mark Cowan (former Software Lead at Open Cosmos), bringing deep expertise in robotics, aerospace software, and embedded AI systems. Their solution is not cloud-based but rather deployed directly on the drone—enabling full edge processing of environmental inputs like video, infrared, and IMU data to power autonomous decision-making in real time.

Lendurai’s platform is designed for dual-use—serving both military and civilian purposes. For defence clients, it ensures operational capability in environments saturated with jamming, electronic warfare, or physical obstructions. For civilian and industrial users, it supports autonomous missions in forests, urban areas, underground zones, and remote infrastructure sites. Their modular system is payload-agnostic and can be integrated into a variety of airframes. Training is also dramatically simplified—users can be fully mission-ready in just two days, compared to typical onboarding cycles of up to two months.

Manufactured in Estonia, Lendurai’s system adheres to NATO interoperability standards and uses exclusively European and NDAA-compliant components. In June 2025, the company raised €5.57 million in seed funding from Expeditions Fund, HCVC, and Vsquared Ventures to scale production, strengthen engineering resources, and accelerate commercial deployment. The funding supports ambitions to double the engineering team, enhance simulation capabilities, and bring Lendurai’s autonomy modules into broader adoption among drone OEMs and military partners worldwide.

By combining cutting-edge embedded autonomy with rugged, field-ready design, Lendurai is positioning itself at the forefront of next-generation UAV operations—enabling resilience, intelligence, and independence where traditional navigation fails.

Keywords: onboard autonomy, GPS-denied navigation, UAV, drone autonomy, defence tech, edge AI, embedded systems, real-time computer vision, dual-use technology, electronic warfare resilience, autonomous drones, NATO standards, NDAA compliance, Estonian startup, deep tech, AI navigation, drone infrastructure, seed funding, edge computing, mission planning software.