The APUS programme has played a decisive role in Runiqo’s journey from environmental technology to defence technology. With support from the programme, the company has strengthened its organisation, expanded its technological capacity – and opened the door to entirely new markets.
In the spring of 2025, the Fyn-based company Runiqo gained the momentum to take an important new step in its development.
After several years as an environmental technology company focused on transferring drone data for environmental monitoring, Runiqo embarked on a new journey into the defence and security industry. This shift was made possible through the APUS programme, run by Odense Robotics and CenSec.
“Support from APUS has enabled us to strengthen our organisation with increased development capacity. It has been absolutely crucial – without it, we would not have entered the defence sector,” says Runiqo’s CEO, Morten K. Funder-Schmidt.
Strengthened development and new technological capabilities
The APUS programme aims to support small and medium-sized enterprises in developing and maturing unmanned systems, with a focus on dual-use technologies and solutions for critical infrastructure.
With the support, Runiqo has made significant progress in its transformation towards the defence domain. The company has developed a platform capable of gathering data from many different types of drones and sensors – and forwarding it to decision-makers in real time.
“It is very rare that the pilot and the decision-maker are in the same location. We integrate drones across platforms and formats and forward what the drone’s camera or sensor captures to the decision-maker in real time,” explains Morten K. Funder-Schmidt.
This enables Runiqo to provide a unified operational picture across drone types, sensors and geographical areas – supplemented by data such as position, direction, GPS and AIS systems.
“We could see there was a need – both in the environmental and defence sectors – to view multiple drones at the same time. Our system makes it possible to see what is happening in different places: on land, in the air and underwater simultaneously and in real time. We haven’t seen that technology anywhere else,” he says.
Future plans and international outlook
Runiqo is now working on the next steps in its development, including the integration of satellite imagery, 3D modelling and a database that makes it possible to store and revisit missions.
“Our dream is that the Danish Defence – and eventually also NATO countries around us – will use the Runiqo system. Our technology is already integrated with drones flying in Ukraine, so the potential is significant,” says Morten K. Funder-Schmidt.
And the company is not hesitant about applying for a new round of APUS support.
“We are very happy with the programme – it has helped us get off the ground. There could easily be an APUS 2 from us, for example to further develop the communications system that enables decision-makers to communicate directly with drone pilots through the platform,” says Morten K. Funder-Schmidt.
Odense Robotics is co-financed by Virksomhedsudvikling Danmark, the European Union and a wide range of projects and partnerships.
Read more about the APUS programme here or contact Gert Taul Pedersen (gertp@odenserobotics.dk) for further information.
