08.04.2026
Startup Story: Quantum Quest X NATO DIANA Estonian Accelerator
Quantum Quest is building the autonomy layer for unmanned systems. Part of the NATO DIANA Estonian Accelerator 2026 cohort, the Polish startup develops autonomous control systems for drones and other unmanned platforms. Its core product combines the Mission Control Core and the MAVRIC operating system, which together provide the onboard control, autonomy, and mission execution functions needed across air, sea, and land.
Rather than building complete drones, Quantum Quest focuses on the control stack that manufacturers and operators can integrate into their own platforms. Its current focus is underwater systems, but the broader aim is to create a reusable autonomy architecture that can operate across multiple domains.
Quantum Quest was founded by Tomasz Korzeniowski, a software engineer and entrepreneur with more than twenty years of experience in technology. Earlier in his career, he worked on computer vision at Polar Rose, later acquired by Apple, and went on to found codequest, a software studio focused on AI and advanced software systems.
He leads the company together with CTO Jacek Grzybowski and Marcel Król, who is responsible for drone engineering and electronics.
How was the startup idea born?
The company took shape through work on autonomous drone systems and a growing focus on regional security. Korzeniowski became active in the drone-builder community and began looking for ways to apply his experience in a field with clear strategic relevance.
A defining moment came during a hackathon at the NATO-Ukraine Defence Innovators Forum, where the team built software that enabled an FPV (first-person view) drone to detect, track, and autonomously deliver a payload to a moving target. The project won an award from the U.S. Department of Defense Innovation Unit, but its real significance was strategic. It showed that a small team could build battlefield-relevant autonomy quickly, and that the larger opportunity lay in creating a reusable control layer rather than a single drone.
What problem does the technology solve?
Quantum Quest develops the onboard control functions needed for navigation, sensing, decision-making, and mission execution, without requiring manufacturers to build their own autonomy stack from scratch.
The system is dual-use by design. The same architecture can support defence use cases such as surveillance and counter-drone operations, while also being relevant for civilian tasks including infrastructure inspection, environmental monitoring, and disaster response.
What differentiates Quantum Quest from other companies?
Most companies in the unmanned systems sector build platforms. Quantum Quest is building the underlying control system instead. That makes it closer to infrastructure than to a conventional drone manufacturer.
Its MAVRIC system uses Model Predictive Control, which predicts and adjusts behaviour in real time, rather than traditional PID-based flight control, which responds to errors after they happen. The architecture is designed to run AI models for detection, tracking, and mission logic directly within the control system. The aim is to build a multi-domain autonomy layer that can be integrated across air, sea, and land systems.
What has been the biggest challenge so far?
One of the hardest challenges has been entering the defence market as an early-stage company. Procurement cycles are long, validation standards are high, and credibility takes time to build.
Quantum Quest’s response has been to position itself as a control systems company rather than compete as a vehicle manufacturer. That gives it a more scalable role across different platforms and operational use cases.
What has been the biggest win so far?
One of the company’s most important milestones has been the development of an AI model for detecting and tracking Shahed-type drones at long distances. According to Quantum Quest, that model was integrated into the Octopus interceptor platform, a counter-drone system, showing the team could deliver important capabilities quickly and operate at the level required in real defence environments.
Another important step was a feasibility study for the Polish Armament Agency focused on a multi-domain drone autopilot. Together with the earlier hackathon recognition, it helped validate that the architecture Quantum Quest is building addresses a concrete operational need.
Why did Quantum Quest apply to the NATO DIANA accelerator?
For Quantum Quest, NATO DIANA offered a route into the wider NATO innovation ecosystem and a chance to build credibility beyond the Polish market.
The team also saw clear value in access to testing, evaluation, verification, and validation environments. For a company developing autonomous control systems, that kind of exposure is essential for turning technical capability into deployable technology.
Where does the company want to be in the coming years?
Over the next year, Quantum Quest plans to expand MAVRIC so it supports underwater, surface, and aerial domains within one architecture. The team is also working on a mission-definition application that would allow operators to design and manage multi-domain missions from a single interface.
Over the longer term, we want to become a control system provider for independent drone manufacturers, offering a platform where users can deploy their own AI models alongside modules developed by Quantum Quest for specific operational needs.
Which book do you recommend to other startup builders?
Korzeniowski recommends The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz for its direct treatment of leadership and decision-making under uncertainty.
The NATO DIANA Estonian accelerator is implemented by Tehnopol Startup Incubator together with Sparkup Tartu Science Park.
Photos: Quantum Quest ja Enriko Pedaksalu
