Granta Autonomy Secures €1 Million to Boost Reconnaissance Missions

Granta Autonomy, a Vilnius-based startup pioneering fully autonomous UAVs for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions, has successfully completed its €1 million seed funding round. The round was led by ScaleWolf VC, a prominent Lithuanian dual-use tech VC Fund and Accelerator, with contributions from Brolis Defence and HFL Holdings.

This new capital injection will enable Granta Autonomy to accelerate the development and production of its advanced lightweight surveillance and reconnaissance UAVs, micro gimbals, and digital Datalink software. The team has rigorously tested these technologies on the front lines in Ukraine.

Since its inception in 2015, Granta Autonomy has been developing remote-controlled reconnaissance UAV aircraft, lightweight gimbals, and its unique Datalink software. The company was founded by former military engineers Gediminas Guoba and Laurynas Litvinas, and now supplies NATO forces across Europe with its range of hand-launched Hornet UAVs. Additionally, they offer their ultra-reliable, lightweight micro gimbals, which are the lightest direct drive gimbals available on the market, to various partners.

Granta Autonomy's micro gimbals are equipped with a powerful camera system that allows for clear daytime image capture at distances up to 5 kilometers and provides vital thermal vision for nighttime operations, ensuring mission success around the clock.

Gediminas Guoba, the founder and CEO of Granta Autonomy, commented on the evolving battlefield and the company's role in providing robust, reliable, and flexible solutions for Western armies. He stated, "Granta Autonomy is committed to ensuring our systems can be readily manufactured across Europe, reducing reliance on external sources. Today's funding enables us to ramp up our production capacity to deliver the large-scale deployments Europe needs."

The latest UAV from Granta Autonomy, the Hornet XR, is a small, hard-to-detect, hand-launched mini reconnaissance UAV designed for covert missions. With a simple throw take-off and a silent flight capability lasting up to 3 hours, it can cover vast distances up to 160 kilometers undetected.

Edvinas Kerza, Managing Partner of ScaleWolf VC and former Vice Minister of the Lithuanian Ministry of Defence, expressed his admiration for the Granta Autonomy team. He said, "Since we met Gediminas and the team, we have been impressed by the groundbreaking technology and vision of the Granta Autonomy team. Their innovative approach to developing surveillance and reconnaissance technology is second to none and has the potential to revolutionize the way armed forces manage complicated and multi-discipline reconnaissance missions. We proudly support their mission and look forward to seeing their autonomous UAVs impact the battlefield over the coming years."

With the new funding, Granta Autonomy aims to enhance its production capabilities to meet the growing demand for its cutting-edge reconnaissance solutions. The company is dedicated to reducing the reliance on external manufacturing sources and ensuring that its advanced technologies are readily available for deployment across Europe.

Granta Autonomy's commitment to innovation and reliability positions it as a key player in the evolving landscape of military reconnaissance technology. The successful funding round marks a significant milestone in the company's journey towards transforming intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions with its state-of-the-art UAVs and gimbal systems.