Helsing is a German defense technology startup supported by Spotify’s Daniel EK and others, and is currently being delivered to Ukraine, plus 6,000 HX-2 strikes. We produce drones.
“We are expanding production of the HX-2 in response to additional orders from Ukraine,” Gundbert Scherf, co-founder of Helsing, said in a statement.
The announcement comes shortly after US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to launch negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, raising questions about how long the conflict will last. I did.
As its name suggests, Strike Drone is a weaponized drone used in military operations, a space that was pivoted in 2024. The company started out as AI software play, but now claims its location as “one of the world’s largest strike drone manufacturers.” According to the latest announcement.
Drones, particularly the first-person observation (FPV) Kamikaze drones run by human pilots, have played an important role in helping Ukraine offset the numerical and equipment disadvantages to Russia.
Even low-cost FPV drones are capable of precise strikes, many being made in Ukraine by state-owned, commercial and grassroots manufacturers, but Helsing’s models add the ability to gather in flocks.
However, Helsing will not become a full hardware company either. Instead, the bet lies in the hardware and software combination, including the ALTRA platform that connects the drone. “It solves difficult problems with the software layer, not the electronics,” said another Helsing co-founder. “The HX-2 is the first in the entire range of products based on this premise.”
The HX-2 Kamikaze drone model, released in late 2024, integrates AI but is designed to be manufactured at scale.
When it comes to autonomous drones, AI is more than a gimmick. It helps the machine find the target even if communication is clogged and data signals are lost. However, it also costs money, especially for Kamikaze devices. That’s why Helsing wanted production to be scalable.
The company has not disclosed pricing, but its approach claims its approach will lead to reduced unit costs and scalable production than competing options such as the Aerovironment Switchblade and its advanced sensors.
Resilience Factory
Unlike the HF-1 drones created in collaboration with the Ukrainian industry, these new devices are named “Resilience Factory” and are intended to be manufactured at production facilities planned to be built throughout Europe. Masu.
Building several facilities instead of centralizing production has the advantage that they can be sourced from local supply chains and labor. This is often a requirement from the defense procurement sector on sovereignty reasons.
The company said the first resilience plant in southern Germany is operational, with initial monthly production capacity exceeding 1,000 HX-2. Like other similar facilities, it can also “expand production fees to tens of thousands of units in the event of a conflict.”
Helsing’s announcement came on the eve of the Munich Security Conference, confirming southern Germany as a defence hub. A report released this week by Dealroom and the NATO Innovation Fund revealed that the country secured Europe’s largest position, resilience and security funding in 2024, securing Munich as its main cluster.
Helsing itself played a major role in this funding surge last year with a $487 million Series C that it raised from general catalysts and others. The startup has drawn around 761.5 million euros (or about $791 million) so far, and announced its strategic partnership with French AI champion Mistral this week at the Paris AI Action Summit. “Europe needs to assert its strength as a geopolitical actor, and AI leadership is key to its strengths and the safety and prosperity of Europe’s future,” Shelf said.
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