Helsing, a five-year-old European military drone startup valued at about $18 billion, is reportedly close to attracting $1.2 billion in new investment. The round is expected to be led by Dragoneer and co-led by existing Helsing investor Lightspeed, the Financial Times reported.
Helsing last raised funding about a year ago, in June 2025, in a deal led by billionaire Spotify founder Daniel Ek. This was a €600 million investment with an estimated valuation of €12 billion (US$14 billion). So this new round goes one step further.
Helsing is not the only European unicorn defense technology, but it is the one that investors consider the most valuable. For example, German drone manufacturer Quantum Systems raised €180 million in November, valuing it at more than €3 billion. And a year ago, Lisbon-based Tekever raised £400m at a valuation of more than £1bn. As Russia wages war in Ukraine, a testing ground for new technologies, autonomous defense startups are receiving a lot of attention from VCs.
Helsing, Dragoneer and Lightspeed could not immediately be reached for comment.
