European AI Defense Startup Helsing Hits $18 Billion Valuation with Record $1.8 Billion Raise

Helsing, a Munich-based company building artificial intelligence for military platforms, has closed a $1.8 billion Series E funding round that values the European defense startup at $18 billion, according to multiple reports. The round is the largest ever for a defense startup in Europe, Defense News reported.

Defense NewsHelsing raises $1.8 billion in Europe’s biggest defense-startup round

The funding was led by a consortium of high-profile investors including Dragoneer Investment Group, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Growth Equity at Goldman Sachs Alternatives, JPMorgan Chase, and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments), as well as Disruptive, Iconiq, General Catalyst, Plural, and Stepstone, Menlo Times detailed. Tech Funding News noted that the Series E had been leaked in May at a smaller $1.2 billion figure before closing at the higher amount.

2 sources

Tech Funding NewsHelsing raises $1.8B from Dragoneer and Lightspeed to scale its AI defence platformMenlo TimesHelsing Raises US$1.8bn in Series E

"Defense technology has been one of the fastest-growing areas of venture capital funding on the back of rising military budgets, and in Europe especially."

The company, co-founded by Dr. Gundbert Scherf, Niklas Kohler, and Torsten Reil, develops AI-driven software for platforms such as the HX-2 drone and the CA-1 Europa fighter, machinebrief.com reported. Helsing's technology underpins what that outlet called "Europe's bet on software-defined warfare," reflecting a broader shift toward autonomous and AI-enabled systems in modern military strategy.

machinebrief.comThe AI Defense Startup That Raised $1.8 Billion — And What It Means for Europe's Military Future

Thefresh capital will accelerate development of AI-enabled defense platforms for partner nations, according to defence-industry.eu. TheDefenseWatch characterized the raise as a sign that "the European defense AI race" is accelerating, as Helsing joins a wave of startups vying to supply next-generation combat tools to governments with rising military budgets.

2 sources

TheDefenseWatchHelsing Secures $1.8 Billion Funding Round As European Defense AI Race Acceleratesdefence-industry.euHelsing raises $1.8 billion to accelerate development of AI-enabled defence platforms for partner nations