Lithuanian advanced swarm detection company, Unmanned Defense Systems (UDS), has successfully raised €3.2 million to scale its battlefield-tested UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) and enhance AI-based swarm integrations with modern battlefield management systems. This funding will significantly bolster UDS’s capabilities and contributions to contemporary warfare, particularly benefiting the Lithuanian and Ukrainian armed forces, other EU members, and NATO allies.
Cutting-Edge UAV Fleet
UDS has developed a diverse fleet of UAVs, including reconnaissance drones like Partisan, loitering munitions, and FPV drones. These innovations have already enabled UDS to win multiple defense procurement tenders, demonstrating the effectiveness and reliability of their solutions in real-world scenarios.
Leadership and Expertise
The leadership team at UDS includes notable figures such as Vytenis Buzas, one of the creators of the first Lithuanian satellite “Lituanica SAT-1,” and Ernestas Kalabuckas, the “Lithuanian CTO of the Year 2022.” Both Buzas and Kalabuckas are personally contributing €1.1 million to the company. The team is further strengthened by PhDs in aerodynamics, electronics, and physics, who also excel as world champions in sports gliding and radio-controlled planes.
Vytenis Buzas, the newly appointed Executive Chairman of the Board, expressed his ambition: “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. Moreover, the team is united by a burning inner drive to help Ukrainians win this brutal war.”
Impact of the War in Ukraine
The ongoing war in Ukraine has highlighted the transformative potential of UAVs, particularly in intelligence gathering, surveillance, and precision strikes. Ernestas Kalabuckas, the incoming CTO, acknowledged the critical role of their military partners in Ukraine: “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.”
Investment and Support
The €3.2 million investment round was co-led by Coinvest Capital, which contributed €0.9 million, alongside a group of business angels and an angel syndicate comprising 41 private investors. Key members of the Lithuanian Business Angel Network, including Vladas Lašas, Rita Sakus, Martynas Kandzeras, and Gytenis Galkis, participated in the investment. Additionally, €0.5 million is reserved for international investors with expertise in the dual-use sector, expected to be closed in the coming months.
Strategic Vision
Minister of Defense Laurynas Kasčiūnas emphasized the importance of technological advancement in modern warfare: “Lithuania can have its own success story. We no longer have the luxury of standing still when the development of technology is currently very fast and dynamic. We must keep pace with the latest military trends and be able to effectively integrate them into our defense system.”
Viktorija Trimbel, Managing Director at Coinvest Capital, highlighted the fund’s alignment with defense and dual-use innovation: “Being a sovereign VC fund, the first and the largest in the Baltics, fully authorized to invest in defense, we have patient capital and a mission that perfectly aligns with the specifics of defense and dual-use innovation needs and decision-making cycles.”
Giedrimas Jeglinskas, former NATO Assistant General Secretary and former Vice-Minister of Defense of Lithuania, is co-investing his personal funds and will represent investors on the company’s board. He recognized UDS’s technology as reflective of modern warfare’s evolving landscape: “At the NATO level, the guidance of a common ‘drone’ doctrine will open up opportunities for cutting-edge technology developers such as UDS to grow both in NATO and in friendly markets further afield.”
Future Development
The secured investments will be directed towards advancing proprietary swarm technologies, enhancing drone autonomy and inter-drone coordination, and strengthening NATO’s military capabilities. This strategic move aligns UDS with the demands of 21st-century warfare, ensuring that Lithuania remains at the forefront of high-tech military UAV development.
