FPV DRONES KILL SOLDIERS EVERY DAY. WE'RE BUILDING THE ANSWER

01/ WHY THIS MATTERS

FPV drones are killing soldiers every day. The world watches and learns.

Ukraine, 2024-2025: Over 42% of all verified vehicle losses caused by FPV kamikaze drones. Sources state that over 800.000 Military Targets were eliminated by UAVs Cost: €300-700. Components: commercially available worldwide. What happens in Ukraine today becomes the standard weapon of terrorist groups, non-state actors, and hybrid adversaries tomorrow. This is not theoretical. This is inevitable. And when it happens, it will be too late.

Right now, in Ukraine, a €400 FPV drone can destroy a €5 million tank!

/02 THE PROBLEM 

Imagine this:
A German infantry squad is defending a position. An enemy FPV drone (cost: €500) is flying toward them at 100 km/h, carrying a RPG Warhead.

Current defense options:

• Shoot with rifles: 1-2% hit rate, reveals position

• Call in air defense: €100k+ per shot, not available for infantry

• Electronic jamming: Modern drones use fibre optic connections or fly autonomously

• Fixed-wing Interceptor: Needs a stationary launch-rail system, requires high minimum speed and has limited maneuverability

  
  Result: Soldiers have no effective defense.

/03 THE HERAKLES SOLUTION (Visualized):

Now imagine this:
The same squad has 4 Herakles launchers mounted on sandbags.

1. Enemy FPV drone enters airspace (detected visually and acoustically by our AI)
2. Soldier presses launch button on tube
3. Herakles interceptor launches, acquires target via onboard camera
4. AI tracks the enemy drone in real-time
5. Autonomous guidance calculates intercept trajectory
6. Interceptor rams enemy drone at 100+ km/h closing speed
7. Both drones destroyed mid-air. Threat neutralized.

Total time: 8-15 seconds. No radio link. No heavy equipment. Cost: less than €2,000.

WHY IT WORKS:

• Autonomous: No pilot, no radio link → immune to jamming

• Fast: Sub-50ms latency from detection to motor control

• Portable: Soldier-carried launchers, no trucks or generators

• Economic: 3:1 cost ratio (€2k vs €500) is sustainable in mass deployment

/04 YOUR MISSION - What you will build

01 | The First Prototype

You build the proof-of-concept. From workbench to first flight test.
This is not theoretical work. You solder, flash, test, iterate.
Timeline: PoC within 4-6 months

02 | The Tracking System

Visual tracking and autonomous flight control at 100+ km/h. Sub-20ms inference (End-to-end latency target) and guidance loops on High-performance Flightcomputer + NPU SoC (Qualcomm QRB5165) with high-framerate RGB/Monochrome Global Shutter Cameras.

This is the hardest problem in the entire system. It is yours.
03 | The AI Pipeline

YOLOv26 on edge hardware. Real-world data collection and labeling.
95% of AI projects fail. We are building to be in the 5%.

04 | The Team

You do not build alone. You build the team.
Hiring, mentoring, culture-setting. From 1 to 10 engineers.

/05 THE TECH STACK

We believe this is the winning stack, but you have the final vote:

Core Robotics & Embedded Systems

• Compute: High-performance SoC (Qualcomm QRB5165) leveraging dedicated NPU acceleration (15 TOPS).

• Flight Stack: PX4 Autopilot architecture with MAVLink communication protocols.

• Actuation: Digital DShot protocols for high-precision motor control and ultra-low latency response.

Edge AI & Perception

• Computer Vision: Real-time object detection and target tracking (optimized YOLO-based architectures) running locally on-device.

• Navigation: Visual-Inertial Odometry (VIO) for GPS-denied environments and complex maneuvering.

• Sensor Fusion: Sophisticated integration of high-framerate Global Shutter cameras, GNSS, IMU data,

Control & Autonomy

• Intercept Logic: Implementation of predictive algorithms and Proportional Navigation (PropNav) for high-kinetic engagements.

• Architecture: Hybrid "Human-on-the-Loop" frameworks, balancing autonomous edge-logic with secure data links for operator oversight.

Development & Simulation

• Languages: C++ for performance-critical systems and Python for AI research and rapid prototyping.

• Sim2Real: Advanced simulation environments for validating autonomous behaviors and intercept logic before field deployment
  

  This is the heart of the system. If latency is right, it works. 

/06 WHO YOU ARE

We are looking for someone who:

• Is relentless until a problem is solved.

• Has a track record of building things independently.

• Prioritizes impact and purpose over salary.

• Treats failure as intel for the next iteration.

• Possesses a builder’s mindset that goes beyond theory.

• Mission-driven: You believe in the product and its purpose.

Must-Haves (at least 2 of 4):

1. UAV Development

• Experience with high-kinetic multirotors, FPV-based flight dynamics, or tactical drone systems.

• Proficiency in configuring and tuning flight stacks like PX4 (preferred) or ArduPilot, including MAVLink communication and custom driver integration.

2. Embedded Systems & Hardware Integration

• Hands-on experience bringing up complex embedded Linux systems and integrating sensors (e.g., Global Shutter cameras via MIPI CSI; IMUs, Radar, or Rangefinders via SPI/UART/CAN).

• Experience with heterogeneous compute platforms like NVIDIA Jetson (Orin/Xavier), Hailo 8, or similar edge devices.

3. Edge AI & Model Optimization

• Proven track record of taking Computer Vision models (e.g., YOLO) from training (PyTorch/TensorFlow) to sub-10ms inference on the edge.

• Experience with model quantization and compilation engines such as TensorRT, SNPE/QNN (Qualcomm), OpenVINO, or the Hailo Dataflow Compiler.

4. Robotics, VIO & Guidance Algorithms

• Solid understanding of State Estimation, Sensor Fusion (EKF), and Visual-Inertial Odometry (VIO) for GPS-denied environments.

• Knowledge of guidance laws for dynamic object tracking or intercept logic (e.g., Proportional Navigation, MPC, or PID/LQR control loops).

Nice-to-Haves:

• Defense/Aerospace experience.

• Startup experience or own projects.

• FPV racing background.

/07 WHAT WE OFFER

Partnership, not employment

Equity as technical co-founder
4-year vesting with 1-year cliff
Acceleration clauses on acquisition/exit (after 2 years + proven contribution)

You are not an employee. You are a partner.

Compensation path

Pre-Seed (Q1-Q2 2026): Equity-only
Post-Seed (from Q2 2026): Market-rate founder salary

Transparent: We are targeting seed funding in Q2 2026.

Full technical autonomy

You decide: Stack, tools, processes, hiring. Your responsibility. Your decision.

Location

Munich preferred (hardware prototyping needs a lab)
If that’s not possible, don’t worry, we will find a solution.
Remote possible with regular on-site sprints

The Upside: You're Building Something That Matters

Market size: €6.64B → €20.31B by 2030
Germany alone: €12B investment by 2030
First-mover advantage in anti-FPV segment

But more than money:

Soldiers are killed by FPV drones every day.
In 2 years, this will spread to terrorist groups worldwide.
If Herakles works, we save lives. That's not marketing talk. That's the mission.

/08 THE PROCESS

Fast, transparent, respectful

1. 01 | The Mission-Fit Question (8 min) - Fill out the form

2. 02 | The Alignment Call (30 min) - Informal video call with founders

3. 03 | The Technical Challenge (Optional, paid)

4. 04 | The Co-Founder Session (90 min) - Deep-dive and decision

Timeline: From application to decision: 3-4 days (yes we are moving fast)

/09 APPLICATION FORM (TALLY)

If you can’t see the form please use this link

The threat is real. The solution is possible. The partner is missing.

Are you ready?