What lbona does

LBONA (Lietuvos bepiločių orlaivių naudotojų asociacija — the Lithuanian Unmanned Aircraft Operators Association) is a non-profit industry association founded on November 22, 2014, and headquartered in Jovariškės, Lithuania. The association represents Lithuanian drone operators and coordinates the domestic unmanned aviation community, currently comprising 60+ member organizations. Its functions include certifying drones, classifying operators, and delivering regulated pilot training across EU category frameworks (A1/A3, A2, and STS) in cooperation with the Transport Competency Agency (TKA).

The association's core service portfolio combines regulatory certification, multi-category pilot training, member coordination, industry advocacy, and event programming (including the annual AKYS drone competition launched in 2016 and recurring conference-exhibitions co-organized with the Ministry of Economy and MITA). It maintains hardware supply partnerships with international manufacturers 3D Robotics and senseFly to channel professional drones to Baltic-region operators. In 2024, the association joined the LIFE SIP Vanduo project, a €19.7 million, 10-year environmental monitoring initiative that deploys drones for water and ecosystem surveillance.

LBONA is led by President Antanas Gedvilas and Board Chairman Ričardas Skorupskas, and operates with a small staff of 1-10 employees. Revenue is generated through membership dues, training fees, and participation in publicly funded projects; the association has not disclosed detailed financials. Its business model is that of a delegated regulatory and industry-body rather than a commercial technology vendor, with member companies (whose end-clients include Maxima, NORDEA, and Lithuanian government agencies such as border guard, fire rescue, and state protection) providing the commercial activity that the association supports and represents.

Name

lbona

Legal name

Lietuvos bepiločių orlaivių naudotojų asociacija

Website

https://lbona.lt

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

LBONA is a Lithuanian non-profit association that certifies drones, classifies operators, and delivers EU-category pilot training for its 60+ member organizations, while coordinating the domestic unmanned aviation industry and representing it with regulators and international forums.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Jovariškės

HQ country

Lithuania

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees paid by individual and corporate members of the association
2. Training Services: Theoretical and practical training programs for drone pilot certification categories A2/STS, including preparation for Transport Competence Agency (TKA) examinations
3. Member Services: Various services provided to members including drone certification, classification, pilot licensing, and registry administration

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

LBONA is a non-profit association that represents unmanned aircraft operators in Lithuania and provides core services including drone certification, classification and evaluation of aircraft, operator licensing, A2/STS pilot training programs (preparation for TKA examinations), and administration of the national drone and operator registry. The association also organizes AKYS drone competitions and coordinates with regulatory bodies such as the Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) and Transport Competence Agency (TKA).

Product overview

LBONA (Lietuvos bepiločių orlaivių naudotojų asociacija) is an association representing unmanned aircraft users in Lithuania, not a product company. The association's core services include certification, classification, licensing, training, and registry administration for drones and operators. Member companies provide commercial services including drone sales (DJI, Trimble, senseFly, 3D Robotics), aerial photography and filming, custom drone design and manufacturing, repair services, and aerocartography (orthophoto maps, NDVI maps, 3D mapping). The association also organizes drone competitions under the AKYS brand.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Drone Certification (Bepiločių orlaivių sertifikavimas) Association service for certifying unmanned aircraft to ensure compliance with Lithuanian safety and regulatory standards, performed under recognition from the Civil Aviation Administration.
• Drone Classification and Evaluation (Bepiločių orlaivių klasifikavimas ir vertinimas) Classification and evaluation services for unmanned aircraft types and capabilities, supporting regulatory categorization and operator licensing.
• Drone Operator Licensing (Bepiločių orlaivių valdytojų licenzijavimas) Licensing service for unmanned aircraft operators and pilots administered by LBONA under recognition from Lithuanian regulatory authorities.
• Drone Pilot Training Programs (Bepiločių orlaivių valdytojų mokymai) Theoretical and practical training programs for drone pilots, including A2/STS category exam preparation, delivered in cooperation with the Transport Competence Agency (TKA) at TKA examination facilities.
• Drone and Operator Registry Administration (Bepiločių orlaivių ir valdytojų registras) Administrative registry for unmanned aircraft and their operators in Lithuania, supporting compliance and traceability of drones and pilots nationwide.

Quantifiable outcome

• LIFE SIP Vanduo project - 10-year environmental monitoring initiative with €19.7M funding
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lietuvos Respublikos aplinkos ministerija (Lithuanian Ministry of Environment)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024LBONA participates as partner in the LIFE SIP Vanduo project coordinated by the Ministry of Environment. The 10-year project (2024-2033) valued at €19.7M aims to improve water quality in Lithuania. LBONA is responsible for developing specialized drones to identify illegal pollution sources and conducting monitoring flights at lakes including Simno, Vievis, Mastis, Margis, and Galuonai.
• Aplinkos apsaugos agentūra (Environmental Protection Agency)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Project partner in LIFE SIP Vanduo initiative. LBONA collaborates with the agency to identify best practices for detecting water pollution sources using direct and indirect water quality indicators, and to select monitoring methodologies.
• Aplinkos apsaugos departamentas (Department of Environmental Protection)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Collaboration partner in LIFE SIP Vanduo project. LBONA experts work with the department to identify best practices for water pollution source detection using monitoring technologies.
• Transporto kompetencijos agentūra (TKA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLBONA organizes training programs in preparation for TKA theoretical examinations for drone pilots. Examinations are conducted at TKA examination facilities. LBONA provides theoretical and practical training for A2/STS pilot categories.
• LR Civilinės aviacijos administracija (CAA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLBONA prepares proposals for the Civil Aviation Administration regarding drone usage and represents member interests in regulatory matters. The association also prepares suggestions for CAA on drone regulations.
• Valstybės sienos apsaugos tarnyba (State Border Guard Service)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipates in AKYS drone competitions and organizes vehicle inspection challenges. Border guard officers serve as judges and organizers for drone competition events.
• LR Vadovybės apsaugos tarnyba (Government Protection Department)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganizes and sponsors automobile inspection competitions using drones during AKYS events. Provides special prizes for competition winners.
• 3D Robotics Inc.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorALLRIDERS.lt (member of LBONA) is the official representative of 3D Robotics Inc. (USA) for Baltic countries, specializing in drone and component sales.
• senseFly SA (Switzerland)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUAB Hnit-Baltic (member of LBONA) is the official senseFly representative in Lithuania, offering professional drones for mapping, 3D mapping, terrain analysis, volume calculations, crop quality assessment, and engineering inspections.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• AUVSI (Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International): Global trade association for unmanned systems and robotics industry, representing drone operators, manufacturers, and service providers. Directly comparable as industry body performing membership, advocacy, and policy representation roles for the drone ecosystem.
• Pilot Institute: Drone pilot training and certification organization offering Part 107 and recreational drone certification prep. Directly comparable to LBONA's A2/STS training and pilot examination preparation services.
• UAV Coach: Drone training, certification, and educational resource provider for recreational and commercial pilots. Comparable to LBONA in delivering drone operator training and certification support.
• Drone Pilot Ground School: Online drone pilot certification training and exam preparation provider. Directly comparable to LBONA's training programs preparing pilots for transport authority theoretical examinations.

Emerging players

• DroneDeploy: Commercial drone mapping and analytics software company serving enterprise drone operators. Comparable in supporting commercial drone operations and adjacent to LBONA's mapping and orthophotography member ecosystem.

Others

• Altitude Angel: UK-based drone airspace management and U-space service provider. Comparable in enabling regulatory-compliant drone operations and adjacent to LBONA's operational support role for Lithuanian drone users.
• Drone Industry Insights (DroneII): Drone market intelligence, research, and consulting firm serving drone industry stakeholders. Comparable as adjacent drone ecosystem participant that supports industry participants with market data.

Broad incumbents

• Parrot SA: European drone manufacturer and software provider serving commercial and government markets. Comparable as broader drone industry participant relevant to LBONA's member ecosystem of drone sales and service providers.
• DJI: World's largest commercial drone manufacturer with dominant market share across consumer and enterprise drone segments. Comparable as the dominant hardware provider that LBONA's member companies sell and support in Lithuania.
• IATA (International Air Transport Association): Global trade association for the airline industry performing representation, standards-setting, and policy advocacy. Comparable as a larger-scale aviation industry trade association operating at global rather than national level.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lbona

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about lbona