Company · Unmanned systems
Latvian unmanned systems company from Riga, founded in 2022; maker of the BLAZE counter-drone interceptor, delivered to Latvia, Belgium and Estonia.
Origin Robotics is a Latvian defence technology company founded in 2022 in Riga in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Its founders are Agris Kipurs, who is also CEO, and Ilja Nevdah – both formerly of the autonomous consumer drone company Airdog. The company designs and makes low-cost guided unmanned systems in Latvia, using computer vision and artificial intelligence so that they keep working under electronic interference.
In October 2024 Origin raised €4 million in pre-seed funding: €2.4 million from the Change Ventures fund, with Silicon Roundabout Ventures taking part, and about €1.6 million in EU grants and support from Latvia’s Ministry of Defence.
BLAZE is a man-portable autonomous interceptor against unmanned aerial vehicles and loitering munitions, unveiled in May 2025. It uses radar data for guidance and AI-based computer vision to detect and track the target, and engages only after operator approval; it carries a NATO-compliant high-explosive fragmentation warhead.
Latvia was the first to order BLAZE, in October 2025, followed by Belgium and Estonia. Deliveries to the three countries began in January 2026, and in May 2026 Latvia signed a blanket purchase agreement with Origin to keep supplying its armed forces.
On 25 September 2026 Origin and the US company Anduril signed a memorandum of understanding. According to the UK publication Unmanned Airspace, based on information from the manufacturers, in late October 2026 the two companies demonstrated a combined counter-drone configuration to Latvia’s senior military leadership: the BLAZE interceptor, Anduril’s Lattice for Air Defense command-and-control platform and a radar of Latvia’s air defence. The companies say the integration took four days; the Latvian military has not officially confirmed the information. The memorandum is not a supply contract.
Investment and Development Agency of Latvia · liaa.business.gov.lv
Estonia, Latvia and Belgium take delivery of BLAZE interceptor drones from Origin RoboticsThe Defense Post · thedefensepost.com
Latvia builds obsolescence-proof drone supply chain with Origin RoboticssUAS News · suasnews.com
Origin secures €4M to deliver cost-effective drone-launched precision-guided weapon systemsUnmanned Airspace · unmannedairspace.info
Origin Robotics starts BLAZE C-UAS drone deliveries to Latvia, Belgium and Estonia
LatviaDrones
According to information from the manufacturers, the demonstration combined the BLAZE interceptor, a command-and-control platform and a radar already used by Latvia’s air defence. The integration described could allow existing infrastructure to be used, but no results from actual interceptions have been released.
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