Latvian defense tech startup Origin Robotics has raised €4 million in pre-seed funding, with €2.4 million of provided capital coming from Change Ventures and €1.6 million in EU and Latvian Ministry of Defence grants. The startup shared the details with AIN.
About Origin Robotics
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Origin is a defense technology company specializing in advanced autonomous systems, founded in 2022 by Agris Kipurs and Ilya Nevdahs, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
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Origin leverages a decade of experience from the founders’ previous successful exit from action sports drone Airdog, aiming to provide democracies with affordable, effective defense technology
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Its flagship product BEAK is a man-portable ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) drone that offers precision strike capabilities at a lower cost than traditional systems by keeping its key components on a reusable carrier vehicle. Utilizing advanced computer-vision algorithms and AI, the BEAK can autonomously navigate complex environments and counter threats even under intense radio jamming.
“We find ourselves in a new era where security can no longer be taken for granted and warfare is evolving rapidly. We saw an opportunity to leverage our decade of experience building autonomous drones for the demanding needs of action sports enthusiasts to create an alternative to today’s expensive precision-guided munitions,” comments Agris Kipurs, co-founder and CEO of Origin
Investment details
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The funding comprises €2.4 million in venture capital funds provided by Change Ventures with participation from Silicon Roundabout Ventures, and €1.6 million in European Union grants and support from the Latvian Ministry of Defence.
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This funding will accelerate product development and enable Origin to expand its team with key engineering and sales hires.
The company already has commercial agreements with two NATO countries, and its flagship product, the BEAK, is already battlefield-tested.
