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DefenseSeedSan Francisco, CAVerified

Theseus

Visual positioning for drones that can't trust GPS.

DefenseAerospaceSoftware for industry
What they build

The product

Theseus builds Micro VPS, a passive visual positioning system that lets drones localize using onboard cameras, inertial sensors, and satellite reference imagery instead of GPS. The system is roughly 10x lighter and cheaper than the nearest competitor and is targeted at GPS-jammed and contested environments.

Why it matters

The thesis

Every serious drone operator — DoD, special operations, and commercial inspection — now assumes GPS denial. A lightweight, US-built VPS that fits on small autonomous airframes is critical to keeping American drones operational in real conflict, and it directly attacks a category dominated by foreign components.

Operating model

How it runs

Theseus develops software-first visual positioning for drones, processing live camera imagery against pre-generated reference maps onboard and returning position data through standard flight-controller interfaces. It iterates with military operators and sells deployable positioning capability to defense customers.

Revenue model

How it earns

Verified revenue comes from defense hardware/software sales through fixed-price government purchase orders, including a reported $237,000 U.S. Air Force order in 2026; broader licensing, unit pricing, and support terms are not disclosed.

Strategic edge

Why it wins

Cyclops uses onboard, software-first map matching and standard MAVLink integration, allowing GPS-denied positioning to be added without a communications link or a large bespoke navigation stack.

Source material

Evidence ledger

Mentioned in

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