- Helsing is closing in on a $1.2 billion round led by Dragoneer and Lightspeed that would value the Munich-based defence AI firm at $18 billion.
- The round was oversubscribed multiple times, and comes with an active €1.46 billion drone contract with the German military
- Despite US firms leading the round, Helsing remains roughly 80% European-owned
The German drone and defence tech company Helsing is closing in on a $1.2 billion funding round that could value the company at nearly $18 billion, according to the Financial Times.
The fundraising is being led by Dragoneer Investment Group alongside existing investor Lightspeed Venture Partners. The new valuation would mark another major jump for Helsing, whose valuation reached €12 billion in 2025 when it raised €600 million in Series D funding.
Founded in 2021 by Dr.Gundbert Scherf, Torsten Reil, and Niklas Köhler, Helsing develops defence software, drones, and military systems for air, land, sea, and underwater operations. The company has grown rapidly as European governments increase defence spending and modernise military capabilities.
The company has recently expanded into underwater defence systems. Earlier this year, Helsing introduced Lura, a submarine detection and surveillance platform aimed at strengthening Europe’s undersea defence capabilities. The platform focuses on tracking underwater threats and improving naval monitoring systems.
Helsing faces growing rivalry from companies developing autonomous drones, surveillance systems, and battlefield software across Europe and the US. Defence startups such as Anduril Industries among others. This comes at a time when governments prioritise advanced military technology and border security systems.
If the new round closes at the reported valuation, Helsing would become one of Europe’s most valuable privately held technology companies.
