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Germany’s defense technology company Helsing has secured US$1.8 billion in fresh funding, marking the largest investment round ever completed by a European defense-tech startup. The Series E financing values the Munich-based company at US$18 billion, underscoring growing investor confidence in Europe’s rapidly expanding defense technology sector.
According to the company, investor interest far exceeded the shares available in the funding round, while Helsing emphasized that it continues to remain predominantly European-owned following the investment.
The latest capital injection significantly increases Helsing’s valuation from the approximately €12 billion reported in June 2025. It also follows a series of major investments across Europe’s defense industry, including German drone and autonomous systems developer Quantum Systems, which recently raised US$1.2 billion at an US$8 billion valuation. Rising global defense spending—particularly across Europe—has made defense technology one of the fastest-growing segments for venture capital investment.
Helsing said the new funding will support its efforts to accelerate the development and deployment of advanced artificial intelligence platforms for defense applications, enabling partner nations to strengthen their military capabilities through AI-enabled technologies.
The company noted that the overwhelming investor response reflects increasing confidence in software-defined and AI-powered defense systems. Founded only in 2021, Helsing has rapidly grown into one of Europe’s highest-valued defense companies.
Helsing’s product portfolio includes the HX-2 strike drone, the Altra AI-powered battlefield operations platform, and the proposed CA-1 autonomous combat aircraft. The company also collaborates with major defense manufacturers such as Rheinmetall, Kongsberg, and Saab to integrate artificial intelligence into next-generation military systems.
Europe’s defense technology sector has witnessed several major funding rounds this year. UK-based autonomous vessel developer Kraken Technology secured US$175 million in a Series B round this month, reaching a valuation of US$1 billion. In venture capital, fundraising rounds exceeding US$100 million are commonly referred to as “mega rounds.”
Other notable investments include Germany’s unmanned systems company Stark, which raised €500 million in June at a reported valuation of €3.2 billion, Finland’s radar satellite specialist ICEYE, which secured €450 million in a Series F funding round, and French defense AI startup Harmattan AI, which raised US$200 million in January through a Series B round led by Dassault Aviation, achieving a valuation of €1.4 billion and becoming France’s first defense unicorn.
Helsing said both existing and new investors participated in the latest financing, including Lightspeed Venture Partners and General Catalyst. Existing backers such as Prima Materia, Accel, and Greenoaks also took part in the round.
The company confirmed that its board structure remains unchanged, with Daniel Ek and Tom Enders continuing as co-chairmen alongside board members Jeannette zu Fürstenberg, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Transformation Gen. Denis Mercier, and company co-founders Gundberg Scherf, Niklas Köhler, and Torsten Reil.
