Estonian Drone Autonomy Startup Advances to Anduril AI Grand Prix Finals

Remānguys places among the top teams in a global competition testing autonomous drone navigation without human pilots.

Estonian drone autonomy company Remānguys has qualified for the finals of the AI Grand Prix, a global autonomous drone racing competition organized by Anduril Industries and the Drone Champions League.

The Tallinn-based company finished ninth in the physical qualifying round, held in Costa Mesa, California, in September. More than 3,000 teams entered the competition, according to the company.

The finals will take place December 7–11, 2026, in Columbus, Ohio.

Testing Autonomous Flight Under Equal Conditions

The AI Grand Prix challenges teams to develop software that allows drones to navigate racing courses without human pilots.

All competitors use the same drone hardware, equipped with a single camera. Teams compete based on their software rather than differences in aircraft design or sensors.

Remānguys finished tenth in the second virtual qualifying round before placing ninth in the physical qualifier.

The company’s three-person team includes CEO Štěpán Kaiser, CTO Jan Sechovec, and Sechovec’s 16-year-old son, Jan Sechovec Jr. All three contribute to software development.

“California showed us that our software holds up outside the simulator,” said Štěpán Kaiser, CEO of Remānguys. “Three thousand teams, the same drone, no pilot. In Columbus we want to show how fast our software can improve.”

Navigation Without GPS or LiDAR

Remānguys develops autonomy software for unmanned vehicles, including vision-based navigation, simulation, and remote drone operations over the internet.

Its racing software uses images from a single camera to estimate the drone’s position and build a three-dimensional map of its surroundings.

In a demonstration recorded during a race flight, the software constructs a map of the racing hall as the drone moves. According to the company, its camera orientation estimates were within 1.6 degrees of those reported by the flight controller.

The approach does not require GPS or LiDAR, making it relevant to autonomous operations where satellite navigation is unavailable or unreliable.

“Our drone sees the world through one camera,” said Jan Sechovec, CTO of Remānguys. “It builds its own map as it flies and knows where it is. That is exactly what drones need when GPS signals are jammed or unavailable.”

Autonomous drone racing provides a demanding test environment for navigation software. Aircraft must identify obstacles, determine their position, and make rapid flight decisions without pilot input.

However, success on a controlled racing course does not necessarily demonstrate readiness for more complex operating environments.

Jan Sechovec Jr., who also has experience as a drone pilot, contributes both flight knowledge and programming skills.

“As a pilot I know what a good line through the gates looks like,” said Jan Sechovec Jr. “In this race the software has to find it on its own, so we write the code together and test it until it does.”

From Drone Racing to Commercial Applications

Kaiser and Sechovec founded Remānguys in Tallinn in April 2025. The company operates between Estonia and the Czech Republic.

Beyond the competition, Remānguys plans to introduce an AI flight controller called SILM N6 in 2027. The company says the product will integrate its autonomy software onto a single board.

CSG and Excalibur International are supporting the team for the December finals.

The competition offers Remānguys an opportunity to test and refine its software against international competitors. It also highlights growing interest in camera-based navigation for drones operating without reliable GPS signals.

The company has published a video demonstration of its GPS-free, LiDAR-free navigation technology.

More information is available on the Remānguys website.