European Defense Startup Helsing Secures EUR 600 Million in Series D Round
AI defense company Helsing raises €600 million to expand its battlefield software and drone manufacturing. The funding round highlights Europe's growing push for technological sovereignty in military technology.
European defense technology startup Helsing raises €600 million in a Series D funding round led by Prima Materia, the venture capital firm co-founded by Spotify CEO Daniel Ek. The round includes participation from existing investors like Lightspeed Ventures, Accel, and Saab, as well as new investors BDT & MSD Partners. Ek, who also serves as chairman of Helsing, emphasizes the urgent need for advanced technologies to ensure Europe's strategic autonomy and security readiness amid evolving geopolitical challenges.
The company sells artificial intelligence software that analyzes massive amounts of sensor and weapons system data from the battlefield to inform military decisions in real time. Beyond its software capabilities, Helsing expands its hardware footprint by manufacturing its own line of military drones known as the HX-2. This combination of AI-driven analytics and physical drone technology positions the startup as a key player in all-domain defense innovation.
This major investment follows Helsing's Series C round of €450 million from July 2024 and reflects a broader surge in European defense funding. According to the NATO Innovation Fund, venture funding in Europe's defense, security, and resilience sector reaches an all-time high of USD 5.2 billion in 2024. Founded in 2021, Helsing uses this new capital to further its mission of delivering critical AI capabilities to modern armed forces.