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Being agile and technologically focused, Estonia is rewiring its DefenceTech sector to focus on modern-day challenges, quickly attracting international interest. This week, Estonian dual-use startup Lendurai raised €5.57 million to build better military drones, reports Tech.eu. The company, based in Tallinn, focuses on solving a big problem: making drones that work even when enemies block or jam GPS signals.
Lendurai was started by three experienced tech entrepreneurs: Siim Maivel (CEO), Mark Cowan, and Sergii Kharagorgiiev. The founders have previously worked at well-known companies like Bolt (mobility unicorn), Open Cosmos (a space company), and Starship Technologies (delivery robots). Now they’re solving a new kind of challenge.
Right now, most military drones have serious limitations. Traditional FPV (First-Person View) drones are cheap but problematic because they need 4 operators in the field, plus eight more support staff back at base. Even worse, up to 70% fail when enemies jam their radio signals, and operators need eight weeks of training to use them properly.
GPS jamming has become a major issue, too. Enemies routinely block GPS signals, making regular drones completelyuseless. Instead, Lendurai builds drones that are much smarter and more independent. They can work without GPS signal by using computer vision and AI to navigate, and they keep flying even when enemies block radio signals.
Additionally, they cost much less than traditional military drone systems while being much easier to use. Operators only need two days of training instead of eight weeks, and the drones are flexible enough to swap different equipment or weapons depending on the mission.
“Europe can’t wait for help. We’re building drones that think faster, react smarter, and keep working even in the toughest electronic warfare situations,” says the company’s CEO, Siim Maivel.
To deliver this vision at scale, Lendurai has raised €5.57 million from three investment firms: Expeditions Fund, HCVC, and Vsquared Ventures. Lendurai manufactures its products in Estonia using European components, ensuring they meet NATO standards for military procurement.
Initially, the company is focusing on military and defence applications, with civilian uses in areas like farming and energy monitoring set to follow. The drones have already been tested in real combat zones and proven to work under actual battlefield conditions.
Estonia, meanwhile, continues its DefenceTech momentum: the government has recently doubled its strategic €100M Defence Industry Fund and unveiled a new 200-hectare industrial park in Pärnu County, among many other measures. Estonia will also be the first country to cross 5% of its GDP in defence spending.
