Daniel Ek-backed defense tech Helsing to raise $1.2B at $18B valuation

Source: TechCrunch

Image Credit: Helsing

Five-year-old European military drone startup Helsing is reportedly close to raising a new $1.2 billion round at an $18 billion valuation. The round is expected to be led by Dragoneer and co‑led by existing investor Lightspeed, according to the Financial Times.¹

Funding round details

• Amount: $1.2 billion
• Valuation: $18 billion
• Lead investor: Dragoneer
• Co‑lead: Lightspeed (existing investor)

Helsing, Dragoneer, and Lightspeed could not be immediately reached for comment.

Previous financing

• June 2025: Helsing raised €600 million (≈ $14 billion USD) at an estimated €12 billion valuation. The round was led by billionaire Spotify founder Daniel Ek.²

European defense‑tech landscape

• Quantum Systems (Germany): Raised €180 million in November 2025, valuing the company at over €3 billion.³
• Tekever (Lisbon): Secured £400 million a year ago, with a valuation above £1 billion.⁴

Amid Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, autonomous defense startups have become a hot area for venture capital.

Sources

Footnotes

1. Financial Times article ↩

2. TechCrunch coverage of the June 2025 round ↩

3. Reuters report on Quantum Systems funding ↩

4. Tekever press release on unicorn status ↩