# Ornadyne

> Ornadyne is a Los Angeles defense-tech startup building autonomous flapping-wing drones - ornithopters - that look, fly, and sound like real birds. Its flagship O1 is a crow-shaped, propeller-free aircraft designed for low-detectability military reconnaissance, offering hour-class flight times and a low acoustic signature so it blends into the visual and acoustic 'noise' that counter-UAS systems already ignore. Founded in 2026 by Geourg Kivijian and Armen Arakelyan and backed by Y Combinator (P26).

- **Founded:** 2026
- **Headquarters:** Los Angeles, California, United States
- **Founders:** Geourg Kivijian (Co-Founder / CEO), Armen Arakelyan (Co-Founder / CTO)
- **Team size:** 3-4
- **Products:** O1 Ornithopter
- **Notable:** Built an operational flying ornithopter prototype in roughly two months, reaching TRL 4-5., Accepted into Y Combinator's Spring 2026 (P26) batch., Founder's master's thesis on flapping-wing robots recognized in AIAA and IEEE publications.

## Products & services

- **O1 Ornithopter** — A biomimetic, crow-shaped flapping-wing reconnaissance drone with a roughly one-meter wingspan and no propellers. It generates lift and thrust by flapping, carries a 50-100 gram payload (currently a visual reconnaissance camera), and is engineered for hour-class flight times, low acoustic signature, and a visual/acoustic profile that blends into counter-UAS 'noise.' Reported at Technology Readiness Level 4-5 with an operational flying prototype.

## Achievements

- Built an operational flying ornithopter prototype in roughly two months, reaching TRL 4-5.
- Accepted into Y Combinator's Spring 2026 (P26) batch.
- Founder's master's thesis on flapping-wing robots recognized in AIAA and IEEE publications.
- Public launch featured by Y Combinator; won a YC group product showcase.

## Latest updates

- **2026-06** — Operational O1 flying prototype reported at TRL 4-5; targeting delivery to military operators within 6-12 months.
- **2026** — Launched publicly out of Y Combinator (P26) building robot birds for military reconnaissance.

## Links

- Website: https://ornadyne.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ornadyne
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/geourgkivijian

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/ornadyne-yc-p26
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-07-30