The company specializes in the design and manufacture of unmanned aerial vehicles and at one time produced ultralight aircraft in the form of kits for amateur construction.

[3] The company was formed in 1991 to produce ultralight aircraft kits using a new inexpensive, light-weight construction technique.

This resulted in the design of the Theiss Tarzan, which entered Naval service as the Dakota II.

[2] The company stopped working on manned general aviation aircraft to concentrate entirely on UAVs.

The company produces a series of UAVs, including the Theiss NIRV (Nature Inspired Reconnaissance Vehicle) that is designed to resemble a soaring bird to conduct covert reconnaissance in urban and rural areas, with models that resemble a vulture, gull and hawk.