Helsing
Helsing develops defence AI software and autonomous systems for European and allied militaries, spanning decision support, underwater surveillance and unmanned aircraft. Its July 2026 $1.8B Series E valued the company at $18B and funds new AI defence platforms.
Market context
Helsing is a central European defence-autonomy company linking AI software with unmanned-system production and resilient component supply. Its industrial partnerships point to a push from autonomy software into scalable drone manufacturing.
Facts
- Website: https://helsing.ai/
- HQ: Munich, Germany
- Segment: defense robotics
- Known funding rounds: 5
Investors
- General Catalyst - Lead - Vc - 4 funding events - repeat backer - first seen 2023-09-14 - latest 2026-07-13
- Prima Materia - Lead - Angel / Individual - 3 funding events - repeat backer - first seen 2021-11-09 - latest 2025-06-17
- Saab - Participant - Unknown - 3 funding events - repeat backer - first seen 2023-09-14 - latest 2025-06-17
- Accel - Participant - Unknown - 2 funding events - repeat backer - first seen 2024-07-11 - latest 2025-06-17
- Plural - Participant - Unknown - 2 funding events - repeat backer - first seen 2024-07-11 - latest 2025-06-17
- CPP Investments - Participant - Angel / Individual - 1 funding event - first seen 2026-07-13
- Disruptive - Participant - Unknown - 1 funding event - first seen 2026-07-13
- Dragoneer - Participant - Unknown - 1 funding event - first seen 2026-07-13
- Goldman Sachs - Participant - Angel / Individual - 1 funding event - first seen 2026-07-13
- ICONIQ - Participant - Unknown - 1 funding event - first seen 2026-07-13
- JPMorgan - Participant - Unknown - 1 funding event - first seen 2026-07-13
- Lightspeed Venture Partners - Participant - Vc - 1 funding event - first seen 2026-07-13
- BDT & MSD Partners - Participant - Vc - 1 funding event - first seen 2025-06-17
- Lightspeed Ventures - Participant - Vc - 1 funding event - first seen 2025-06-17
- Elad Gil - Participant - Angel / Individual - 1 funding event - first seen 2024-07-11
- Greenoaks - Participant - Unknown - 1 funding event - first seen 2024-07-11
- Lightspeed - Participant - Unknown - 1 funding event - first seen 2024-07-11
Commercial
1 commercial event; 1 contract award; latest event 2026-02-12
- 2026-02-12 - Contract award - Germany awards Helsing initial EUR 269M HX-2 strike drone contract - source: resiliencemedia.co
AI-enabled autonomous systems and defence software
Helsing develops AI-enabled defence software, autonomous systems and software-defined hardware. The company works with governments and industry partners to connect existing military hardware into AI-enabled networks while also developing new autonomous systems.
- Target environment: Defence operations, military command environments, air and maritime domains, unmanned systems, sensor networks and allied-government defence programs.
- Deployment model: Defence technology model built around AI software, autonomous systems, software-defined hardware, government contracts and industrial partnerships.
- Customer context: Democratic governments, defence ministries, armed forces, prime contractors and military hardware partners.
- Workflow context: Autonomous systems, battlefield AI, sensor fusion, decision support, drone and underwater systems, precision mass and military software integration.
- Commercial maturity: Helsing is a mature defence AI company, with robotics relevance tied to autonomous systems, software-defined defence platforms and partner-enabled deployment rather than standalone robot manufacturi…
- Market position: European defence AI company positioned between software-defined autonomy and military hardware integration.
- Adoption constraints: Government procurement, export controls, battlefield validation, ethical constraints, production scale, integration with legacy systems and geopolitical dependency.
- Adjacent context: Defence autonomy, military AI, autonomous drones, underwater systems, sensor fusion and software-defined hardware.
- Source confidence: high
Events
- 2026-07-13 - Funding - Helsing raises $1.8B Series E at an $18B valuation - The financing is a Series E and carries an $18 billion valuation. Named investors included Dragoneer, Lightspeed, General Catalyst, ICONIQ, Disruptive, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan and CPP Investments. The capital extends Helsing's expansion from defence AI softwa…
- 2026-06-01 - Market Signal - Helsing unveils Area 9 and launches RX-1 European robotics research platform - Helsing unveiled Area 9, an advanced research division led by Chief Scientist Antoine Bordes, and launched RX-1 as its first European robotics research platform. RX-1 is designed and manufactured in Europe and will be made available to academic institutions a…
- 2026-05-19 - Partnership - Helsing and OHB establish KIRK joint venture for tactical space-based reconnaissance - Helsing and OHB established KIRK, a joint venture for tactical space-based surveillance, reconnaissance and targeting systems. The venture expands the earlier Helsing, Kongsberg and HENSOLDT space-based targeting partnership by adding OHB as a joint lead. Hel…
- 2026-04-20 - Market Signal - Helsing opens Stockholm hub for Nordic defence and AI air-combat work - Helsing opened a Stockholm presence to serve as the operational centre for its Nordic activities. The company highlighted its Centaur AI agent flying aboard a Gripen E fighter and a three-digit million Euro contract to equip Eurofighter with Cirra. The hub su…
- 2026-02-12 - Contract Award - Germany awards Helsing initial EUR 269M HX-2 strike drone contract - Germany awarded Helsing an initial EUR 269 million contract for HX-2 strike drones. Reporting says the Bundestag budget committee capped the broader arrangement, with further purchases requiring additional approval. The event gives Helsing a production-contra…
- 2025-12-09 - Partnership - Kongsberg and Helsing team on European space-based IST constellation - Kongsberg and Helsing signed a teaming agreement to accelerate a sovereign European space-based intelligence, surveillance and targeting constellation. Helsing will contribute AI-driven software for fusing SAR, EO and RF data for satellite image analysis. Thi…
- 2025-12-02 - Partnership - Schaeffler and Helsing sign MoU on drone development and production scale-up - Schaeffler and Helsing signed an MoU to collaborate on drone systems. The agreement covers component supply, resilient supply-chain work and drone production scale-up. The partnership adds manufacturing and supply-chain capacity to Helsing drone development.
- 2025-11-19 - Production Milestone - Helsing opens Plymouth Resilience Factory for AI-enabled submarine hunters - Helsing opened its first UK Resilience Factory in Plymouth to build AI-enabled submarine-hunting systems. The facility supports production of SG-1 Fathom autonomous underwater gliders and Lura acoustic AI software. The factory follows Helsing's UK investment…
- 2025-10-07 - Acquisition - Helsing acquires Blue Ocean to accelerate autonomous underwater vehicle programme - Helsing acquired Blue Ocean, a specialist in autonomous underwater vehicles. The acquisition followed Helsing's launch of SG-1 Fathom and its testing at the BUTEC underwater military test range. The deal accelerates Helsing's maritime defence programme around…
- 2025-06-17 - Funding - Helsing raises EUR 600 million Series D for European defence technology - Helsing raised a EUR 600 million Series D led by Prima Materia. Existing investors Lightspeed Ventures, Accel, Plural, General Catalyst and Saab participated, alongside new investor BDT & MSD Partners. The company said the funding would accelerate all-domain…
- 2025-06-04 - Acquisition - Helsing agrees to acquire Grob Aircraft for aerospace and defence manufacturing - Helsing signed a binding agreement to acquire Grob Aircraft SE. The deal combines Grob's composite aircraft manufacturing expertise with Helsing's AI and software systems. Helsing positioned the acquisition as a way to accelerate next-generation aerial warfar…
- 2025-05-13 - Product Launch - Helsing unveils Lura and SG-1 Fathom for autonomous underwater surveillance - Helsing unveiled Lura and SG-1 Fathom for autonomous mass surveillance and defence of underwater environments. SG-1 Fathom is an autonomous underwater glider designed for scalable persistent surveillance. Lura provides acoustic AI software for detecting and c…
- 2025-04-28 - Partnership - Helsing, Blue Ocean, Ocean Infinity and QinetiQ partner on maritime autonomy - Helsing partnered with Blue Ocean Marine Tech Systems, Ocean Infinity and QinetiQ to accelerate AI and autonomy in maritime operations. The alliance targets allied naval needs around digitalising the oceans and protecting vessels and critical undersea infrast…
- 2025-02-13 - Production Milestone - Helsing announces production of 6,000 additional HX-2 strike drones for Ukraine - Helsing announced production of 6,000 additional HX-2 strike drones for delivery to Ukraine. The company said this followed a previous order of 4,000 HF-1 strike drones being delivered in partnership with Ukrainian industry. Helsing also announced that its fi…
- 2025-02-10 - Partnership - Helsing and Mistral AI partner on defence Vision-Language-Action models - Helsing and Mistral AI announced a strategic partnership to jointly develop next-generation defence AI systems. The companies said the work would focus on Vision-Language-Action models for battlefield understanding, communication and decision support. Treat t…
- 2024-12-02 - Product Launch - Helsing unveils HX-2 AI strike drone - Helsing unveiled HX-2 as a software-defined, mass-producible AI strike drone. The drone is an electrically propelled X-wing precision munition with up to 100 km range and onboard AI for electronic-warfare and jamming resistance. Helsing said HX-2 can operate…
- 2024-07-11 - Funding - General Catalyst leads Helsing EUR450M Series C for defence AI - General Catalyst led the EUR450 million Series C, with participation from Elad Gil, Accel, Saab, Lightspeed, Plural and Greenoaks. Helsing said the funds would support product development and R&D, with focus on European sovereignty and NATO eastern flank prot…
- 2024-06-05 - Partnership - Airbus and Helsing sign AI cooperation agreement for future Wingman system - Airbus Defence and Space and Helsing signed a framework cooperation agreement for AI technologies in a future Wingman system. Airbus contributes manned-unmanned teaming and combat-aircraft programme experience, while Helsing contributes its AI stack for senso…
- 2024-06-03 - Capability - Helsing announces Project Centaur autonomy initiative for air combat - Helsing announced Project Centaur, a large-scale AI initiative for autonomous air combat capabilities. The programme targets existing platforms and future systems including Loyal Wingman, FCAS, GCAP and other European air-combat programmes. The event gives He…
- 2023-09-14 - Funding - Helsing raises EUR209M Series B with Saab strategic investment - General Catalyst led the EUR209 million Series B, while Saab joined as a strategic investor. Helsing said recent traction included German Eurofighter electronic-warfare work with Saab and an FCAS AI-backbone contract with consortium partners. The company said…
- 2021-11-09 - Funding - Prima Materia leads Helsing EUR102.5M Series A - Prima Materia led the EUR102.5 million Series A, with Daniel Ek joining Helsing's board alongside the company's founders. Prima Materia supplied EUR100 million of the round, subject to regulatory approval. The capital was earmarked for growing Helsing's deep-…
Team
- Gundbert Scherf - Co-founder - Co-founder tied to Helsing's defence AI, government and autonomous-systems strategy.
- Torsten Reil - Co-founder - Co-founder connected to Helsing's software-native defence technology and autonomous systems direction.
Relationships
- Schaeffler AG - Drone Systems And Production Scale Up Mou - Schaeffler and Helsing signed an MoU covering drone development, production scale-up and autonomous technology cooperation.
Context tags
- Defence customers - Customer Environment
- Defence AI autonomy software - Peer Group
- Defence AI decision support - Workflow
- Defence AI software layer - Stack Layer
Customers and deployments
- Contract Value Eur - EUR 269 million - 2026-02-12 - Germany - strike drone procurement - Germany awarded Helsing an initial EUR 269 million HX-2 strike drone contract. - source posture: Third Party Reported
- Resilience Factory Count - 1 UK Resilience Factory - 2025-11-19 - Plymouth Resilience Factory - maritime autonomy production - Helsing opened its first UK Resilience Factory in Plymouth to build SG-1 Fathom autonomous u…
- Customer Bound Units - 6,000 additional HX-2 strike drones - 2025-02-13 - Ukraine - strike drone production for customer delivery - Helsing announced production of 6,000 additional HX-2 strike drones for delivery to Ukr…
Helsing canonical Korthos profile