Helsing
European AI defense software and autonomous systems company.
Helsing develops AI-powered software for military applications across air, land, sea, and sub-surface domains. Its technology interprets sensor and weapons system data to provide real-time battlefield insights. The company expanded into hardware with the HX-2 and HF-1 AI strike drones, which have been fielded in Ukraine. Helsing commits to selling exclusively to democratic governments and has subsidiaries in the UK, France, and Estonia.
Overview
- Headquarters
- Munich, Germany
- Founded
- 2021
- Employees
- 900
- Total funding
- €1.37B + $1.8B Series E
- Valuation
- $18B (Series E, Jul 2026)
- Stage
- Series E
- Status
- active
- Domains
- AI defense software, Autonomous drones, Battlefield AI
- www.linkedin.com/company/helsing
- X / Twitter
- x.com/HelsingAI
- Website
- helsing.ai
Founders3
Cap table12
Approximate ownership by holder. Indexed holders link to their records.
Raised per round
Valuation over time
Percentages marked ~ are not disclosed. Some are a generic VC-pattern model (founders/team weighted heaviest, option pool lightest, other holders evenly) sized to whatever's left undisclosed — a standard industry shape, not this company's actual cap table.
| Holder | Instrument | Ownership |
|---|---|---|
Founders & managementReinvested | Common | ~13.3% |
Other investors | Preferred / Common | ~13.3% |
AccelReinvested | Preferred (Series C–D) | ~13.3% |
Prima Materia (Daniel Ek)Reinvested | Preferred (Series A–D) | ~13.3% |
Saab (strategic)Reinvested | Preferred (Series C) | ~13.3% |
Lightspeed Venture PartnersReinvested | Preferred (Series C–D) | ~13.3% |
General CatalystReinvested | Preferred (Series B–C) | ~13.3% |
Employee option pool | Options | ~6.7% |
Contracts0
No linked records yet.
Programs0
No linked records yet.
Frequently asked
- What does Helsing do?
- Helsing develops AI-powered software for military applications across air, land, sea, and sub-surface domains. Its technology interprets sensor and weapons system data to provide real-time battlefield insights. The company expanded into hardware with the HX-2 and HF-1 AI strike drones, which have been fielded in Ukraine. Helsing commits to selling exclusively to democratic governments and has subsidiaries in the UK, France, and Estonia.
- Where is Helsing headquartered?
- Helsing is headquartered in Munich, Germany and was founded in 2021.
- How much funding has Helsing raised?
- Helsing has raised €1.37B + $1.8B Series E in disclosed funding, at a most recent valuation of $18B (Series E, Jul 2026).
- What does Helsing specialize in?
- Helsing works across AI defense software, Autonomous drones, Battlefield AI.
Sources & citations7
Each claim links to its underlying source. Confidence reflects how directly the source supports the claim.
- 1
Raised €600M Series D at €12B valuation in June 2025; total €1.37B
TechCrunch/Tech.eu: Helsing raises €600M, more than doubling valuation to €12BNReported2025-06-17 - 2
Cap table: Founders 37%, Prima Materia 16%, ESOP 10%, Plural 5%, General Catalyst 5%, Accel 5%, others per Dealroom
Dealroom.co: Helsing company profile — ownership dataReported2026-05-30 - 3
Founded 2021 by Torsten Reil, Gundbert Scherf, Niklas Köhler; HQ Munich, Germany
Wikipedia: Helsing (company)Verified2026-06-07 - 4
Raised $1.8B Series E at an $18B valuation, Europe's largest defense-startup round
Helsing: Helsing raises US$1.8bn in Series EVerified2026-07-13 - 5
Raised $1.8B at $18B valuation; investors incl. JPMorgan, Lightspeed, Iconiq, Goldman Sachs Growth Equity
CNBC: Europe's Anduril rival Helsing raises $1.8 billion at $18 billion valuationVerified2026-07-13 - 6
Investing $50M in first US factory in Martinsburg, West Virginia to build HX-2 strike drones (up to 2,000/month), IOC targeted Nov 2026
Breaking Defense: German UAV firm Helsing picks West Virginia for first US manufacturingVerified2026-07-15 - 7
Won €269M initial Bundeswehr loitering-munition contract (options to €1.46B; framework capped €1B/company), shared with Stark Defence
Army Recognition: Germany Approves €540M Medium-Range Loitering Munition Procurement from Helsing and StarkVerified2026-02-25