Riga-based defence tech startup Origin, which develops cost-effective, drone-launched precision-guided weapon systems for modern warfare, has secured €4 million in a pre-seed funding round led by Change Ventures, with participation from Silicon Roundabout Ventures.
Founded in 2022 by Agris Kipurs and Ilya Nevdah in response to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Origin specializes in advanced autonomous systems, with a particular focus on airborne precision-guided weapon systems. The company aims to deliver a new generation of cost-effective precision weapon capabilities.
“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,” co-founder and CEO of Origin, Agris Kipurs, commented in a press release.
Origin’s product, the BEAK, is a man-portable ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) drone featuring precision guidance technology. It offers strike capabilities at a lower cost than traditional defence solutions by using a reusable carrier for its components instead of embedding them in disposable projectiles.
Equipped with computer vision algorithms and AI, the BEAK allows for autonomous flight and can navigate complex environments, even under intense radio jamming. Its quick deployment and user-friendly design make it ideal for defense forces, and it has been battlefield-tested with commercial agreements in place with two NATO countries.
The €4 million pre-seed funding round was led by Change Ventures, which contributed €2.4 million. Change Ventures is a Tallinn-based venture capital firm that invests in Baltic founders, focusing on entrepreneurs from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, typically investing between €100,000 and €500,000 in pre-seed tech startups.
“Having known Agris and Ilya for a decade through their successful launch of the world’s leading action sports drone Airdog. Their ability to combine this expertise with an ambitious vision to reshape the precision weapons market, and their remarkable traction within the past 18 months, made investing in Origin an easy choice,” Partner at Change Ventures, Andris K. Berzins, stated in a statement.
Silicon Roundabout Ventures also participated in this funding round. Additionally, the round received €1.6 million in EU grants and support from the Latvian Ministry of Defence. The fresh funding round will enable the startup to grow its team by hiring key engineering and sales personnel, as well as to further develop its product.
