.png)
Total amount raised
$1.5B
Latest funding date
2025-06-17
Location
Helsing has successfully raised funds over four rounds, with the latest being a Series D round involving seven investors, led by Prima Materia. The company is backed by a total of ten investors, including recent contributions from Lightspeed Venture Partners and Plural.
What Is Helsing?
Helsing is a defense technology company based in Munich, Bayern, Germany, specializing in AI-powered systems. The company focuses on developing autonomous systems and software to enhance military capabilities for democratic nations. With a workforce of 501–1,000 employees, Helsing is committed to ethical standards in AI development.
Founded to protect democracies through advanced AI technologies, Helsing offers products including autonomous air dominance systems, AI strike drones, and underwater autonomous systems. The company has raised funding across four rounds totaling over EUR 1.36 billion, with the latest being a Series D round led by Prima Materia, and is backed by notable investors including General Catalyst, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Accel, and Plural.
How Much Funding Has Helsing Raised?
- Series A
- Amount Raised: EUR 102,500,000
- Date: November 2021
- Lead Investors: Prima Materia
- Valuation at Round: Not publicly disclosed
- Motivation Behind the Round: To develop AI-powered defense technologies and establish a strong market presence.
- Series B
- Amount Raised: EUR 209,000,000
- Date: September 2023
- Lead Investors: General Catalyst
- Participants: Saab (strategic investor), Prima Materia (existing)
- Valuation at Round: Over EUR 1.7 billion (post-money)
- Motivation Behind the Round: To scale AI and software capabilities for defense applications.
- Series C
- Amount Raised: EUR 450,000,000
- Date: July 2024
- Lead Investors: General Catalyst
- Participants: Accel, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Plural, Saab, Elad Gil, Greenoaks Capital
- Valuation at Round: EUR 4.95 billion (~$5.4 billion)
- Motivation Behind the Round: To boost AI projects, focusing on product development and R&D to secure European sovereignty, particularly protecting NATO's Eastern Flank.
- Series D
- Amount Raised: EUR 600,000,000
- Date: June 2025
- Lead Investors: Prima Materia
- Participants: Lightspeed Venture Partners, Accel, Plural, General Catalyst, Saab, BDT & MSD Partners (new)
- Valuation at Round: EUR 12 billion (~$12 billion)
- Motivation Behind the Round: To advance AI-powered defense technologies, strengthen European technological sovereignty, and expand strategic capabilities across all defence domains.
Total Amount Raised: EUR 1,361,500,000 (at least $1.5 billion based on disclosed funding across all rounds).
Current Valuation: EUR 12 billion (~$12 billion, per Series D round, June 2025)
Key Investors
- General Catalyst
- Details: General Catalyst is a venture capital firm that invests in early-stage and growth-stage companies. They led Helsing's Series B and Series C rounds.
- Investment Focus Areas: Technology, healthcare, AI-based defense capabilities.
- Notable Investments: Airbnb, Stripe, Snap Inc.
- Prima Materia
- Details: Prima Materia is an investment company co-founded by Spotify founder Daniel Ek and Shakil Khan. It led Helsing's Series A and Series D rounds, with Daniel Ek serving as Chairman of Helsing.
- Investment Focus Areas: Technology, innovation, transformative industries, European defence.
- Notable Investments: Not publicly disclosed.
- Saab AB
- Details: Saab AB is a Swedish defense and aerospace company. They joined Helsing's Series B as a strategic investor and have continued participating through subsequent rounds.
- Investment Focus Areas: Defense, aerospace, advanced technology.
- Notable Investments: Various defense and aerospace projects, including partnerships with Helsing.
- Accel
- Details: Accel is a global venture capital firm that partners with exceptional founders across all stages of private company growth. Accel participated in Helsing's Series C and Series D.
- Investment Focus Areas: Consumer, enterprise, financial technology.
- Notable Investments: Facebook, Dropbox, Slack.
- Lightspeed Venture Partners
- Details: Lightspeed Venture Partners is a multi-stage venture capital firm focused on accelerating disruptive innovations. Lightspeed participated in Helsing's Series C and Series D rounds.
- Investment Focus Areas: Enterprise, consumer, disruptive innovations.
- Notable Investments: Snapchat, Nest, GrubHub.
What's Next for Helsing?
Helsing's future is brimming with opportunities, particularly in expanding AI capabilities for European defense. With significant funding secured, the company is poised to enhance its product development and R&D, focusing on securing European sovereignty and protecting NATO's Eastern Flank. The establishment of the Defence Manufacturers Alliance with Ukraine and securing government contracts for projects like the German Eurofighter Electronic Warfare upgrade highlight the vast potential ahead.
Future fundraising opportunities appear promising as Helsing continues to attract strategic investors and partners in the defense sector. The company's valuation and successful deployments, such as the YAM-6 satellite node, position it well for further investment rounds. However, challenges such as rapidly evolving security threats, competition from other AI and defense technology companies, and navigating complex regulatory landscapes will require continuous innovation and adaptation.
Use Clay to Get Funding Data
Sales professionals, take advantage of Clay's platform to access comprehensive fundraising data on companies like Helsing and gather other critical business insights. Sign up for free to start leveraging these powerful tools today.
