Theseus Raises $4.3M to Make Unmanned Missions Possible Without GPS
Small unmanned systems are reshaping the battlefield. Drones can provide more intelligence, strike targets more effectively, and do so at a fraction of the cost of a legacy system. The war in Ukraine has shown that even a main battle tank can be bested by a few drones costing a thousand times less than the target. But drones have an Achilles heel: GPS. Without positioning, they cannot execute autonomous missions, dramatically culling their role as a force multiplier.
This weakness is being exploited relentlessly: there is no GPS in a 100km radius around the frontline in Ukraine. Cartels are now using GPS jammers at our southern border to prevent surveillance. Because GPS has been so good for so long, we’ve become reliant on it without another suitable solution on the market. Until now, military operations have had to resort to manually flying drones to bypass jamming.
Introducing Micro VPS: Securing the Future of Unmanned Systems
At Theseus, we’ve built an unjammable replacement for GPS. Our Micro Visual Positioning System lets operators execute missions they otherwise couldn’t, by providing positioning for their drones regardless of jamming. This drop-in GPS replacement can be deployed even on Group 1 drones in under 30 minutes.
Micro VPS works by looking at the ground and comparing camera images to a large database of satellite maps stored onboard. By correlating features between the two, our Micro VPS accurately determines the drone’s position and relays that information just like a regular GPS. Instead of building an exquisite system, we combine off-the-shelf hardware with cutting edge software, to deliver this at a cost 10x cheaper than other solutions that are both prohibitively expensive and too heavy to work with this rapidly growing class of cheap drones.
We’ve been collaboratively developing with USSOCOM and working closely with the operators who will be deploying our system. We’ve tested Theseus aboard drones across everything from deserts to snow covered forests to make sure our customers can fly whatever profiles the mission requires.
New Funding to Scale Micro VPS
Today, we’re excited to announce that we’ve raised $4.3M in seed funding led by First Round Capital, with participation from Y Combinator and Lux Capital. This gives us the firepower we need to transition Micro VPS into a fully fieldable system and get it in the hands of the warfighter.
We’re rapidly developing solutions to urgent operational needs by engaging directly with operators and iterating at the pace of a tech company. GPS jamming is the first defense problem we’ve solved, but this is just the start. We plan to help keep operators out of harm’s way by securing the unmanned platforms they rely on.
If you want to be part of that future, we’re actively hiring for engineering roles and would love to chat. If you’re interested in learning more about how Theseus can support your mission, please email us and we’ll be in touch.