San Francisco defense-tech startup (YC S24) building GPS-denied visual navigation hardware and software for drones, used by US Special Forces.
Theseus is a defense technology startup founded in 2024 and headquartered in San Francisco, California. The company was founded by Ian Laffey, Sacha Levy, and Carl Schoeller, and participated in Y Combinator's Summer 2024 batch.
Theseus develops a visual navigation system (VNS) for drones that enables autonomous flight in GPS-denied environments. The system uses onboard cameras, an accelerometer or gyroscope, and satellite reference imagery to passively compute position fixes without active radio frequency emissions. Because the system does not transmit RF signals and operates entirely passively, it offers resistance to GPS jamming and spoofing and does not produce an electronic signature that can be detected or targeted by adversarial electronic warfare systems.
The hardware component was described in early public demonstrations as a compact unit priced around $500, designed to retrofit onto existing drone platforms. The system computes navigation solutions onboard without requiring communication to external ground stations or GPS satellites. Initial operational testing was conducted with the US Special Forces, who entered an agreement with Theseus for early testing and development.
Theseus gained public attention after a Y Combinator tweet in September 2024 describing the system's early testing with special forces. The company subsequently attracted interest from Ukrainian defense entities and other NATO-aligned parties evaluating alternatives to GPS-dependent drone navigation.
In April 2025, Theseus announced a $4.3 million seed funding round led by First Round Capital, with participation from Y Combinator and Lux Capital. The total capital raised was also reported at $4.8 million in some sources including Crunchbase. The company employs approximately 7 people as of mid-2025.
Primary type & automation activities this supplier delivers:
Passive GPS-denied navigation module for drones using cameras and satellite reference imagery; no RF emissions.
Contact Theseus
WEBSITE
https://theseus.usHEADQUARTERS
United States
Company Facts
Founded
2024
Primary Role
Manufacturer
Company Size
-
Primary Region
North America
Annual Sales
-
Funding Stage
-
Funding Total
-
