We've built a Visual Navigation System (VNS) that can be retrofit onto any drone that mimics a GPS. Our VNS uses cameras and an accelerometer/gyroscope as well as reference satellite imagery for positioning. The system is entirely self contained, can't be jammed and has no RF signature. 
GPS Denied Navigation for Drones
Title: Theseus: GPS Denied Navigation for Drones | Y Combinator

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### GPS Denied Navigation for Drones

We've built a Visual Navigation System (VNS) that can be retrofit onto any drone that mimics a GPS. Our VNS uses cameras and an accelerometer/gyroscope as well as reference satellite imagery for positioning. The system is entirely self contained, can't be jammed and has no RF signature.



Theseus

Founded:2024

Team Size:3

Location:

### Active Founders

### Ian Laffey, Founder

GPS-denied nav for drones



### Sacha Levy, Founder

UAV nav in gps denied environments.



### Carl Schoeller, Founder

Building Theseus – defense systems independent of GPS. Before that designed and built around 2000 unique parts. Some of those are in mass production on Tesla Cybertruck and some in an Apple product.



### Company Launches

[### Theseus: GPS Denied Navigation for Drones](



Six months ago we did a hackathon, this month we sold to SOCOM. Our Visual Navigation System (VNS) uses cameras, an inertial measurement unit, and pre-loaded satellite imagery to determine it’s position and send a fake GPS signal to any drone. Integrations typically take <30min.

### How It Started



In February, [Carl]( was a Senior at Stanford, [Sacha]( was a PhD student at Yale, and [Ian]( was working with a British celebrity. After our post went viral, we spent weeks talking with troops on the ground, drone manufacturers, and DoD.

We learned that:

\- The front lines of Ukraine are 100% GPS-denied

\- Cheap, DIY drones are extremely effective but typically rely on GPS

\- Existing GPS alternatives are extremely heavy and extremely expensive

We set out to create a low-cost, low-weight replacement for GPS that works with any drone.

### How It’s Going



Our first customer in the Special Forces has enabled us to push our VNS to its limits, and the results have been impressive. Here are a few excerpts from a memorandum written by the Captain we work with:

_“Having tested the Theseus’ VizNav system for a week, I am convinced that their technology presents the best solution for a current, and ever-expanding urgent operational need.”_



_“As a company, Theseus has shown a willingness to seek the ground truth from the operator and make improvements based on these recommendations immediately. The progress they have made with limited funding gives me incredible confidence that they act quicker and more efficiently than any other vendors we have worked with.”_



Due to the sensitive nature of our product, technical details and customer-specific information in this post will be limited. We are happy to discuss results in more detail privately.

### Going Forward



America is way behind. The current demand for drones in Ukraine is 1-2 million yearly. Every country in the world sees this and is in the process of building out its arsenal. Our product affordably enables an entirely new capability set for every one of these platforms.

We have sold units to multiple customers, have six-figure LOIs from large drone manufacturers, integrations scheduled, and eight figures in funding for our VNS requested by the DoD for FY25.

The West needs to build millions of drones, and all of those drones need Theseus.


