German defence technology company Helsing, led by co-CEOs and co-founders Dr. Gundbert Scherf and Torsten Reil, alongside president and co-founder Niklas Köhler, has raised $1.8 billion in a Series E funding round, lifting its valuation to $18 billion.
The company announced the financing on Monday, saying the round attracted more investor interest than the available allocation. Helsing linked that demand to growing confidence in artificial intelligence and software-defined defence technology.
The Series E drew backing from JPMorgan Chase & Co., Growth Equity at Goldman Sachs Alternatives, Dragoneer Investment Group, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Disruptive, Iconiq, General Catalyst, Plural and Stepstone.
Helsing said the new investment would be used to develop and integrate entirely new AI platforms into the defence capabilities of its expanding group of partner nations. The company did not disclose how the capital would be divided among individual projects or provide a timeline for deploying the new platforms.
Investor demand outpaced the available allocation
According to Helsing, demand for the fundraising round significantly exceeded the amount of capital the company had made available to investors.
The company presented that response as a sign of rising confidence in defence systems built around artificial intelligence and software. Helsing also emphasised that it remains predominantly European-owned, highlighting what it described as its deep roots in the region.
The investor list combines global financial institutions, growth equity firms and technology-focused investment groups. No individual investment amounts were disclosed.
New capital focused on defence AI platforms
Helsing’s announcement places the development of new AI platforms at the centre of its next phase. The company said these systems would be integrated into the defence capabilities of partner countries, although it did not identify specific programmes, products or nations connected to the latest funding.
The financing gives Helsing an $18 billion valuation following the Series E round. The company did not provide further details on the structure of the transaction.
Daniel Ek, the chief executive of Spotify, is one of the co-chairmen of Helsing’s board.
For Helsing, the latest round delivers both substantial new capital and the backing of a broad group of international investors. The company’s stated priority is now to turn that investment into new AI-led defence platforms for the countries it works with.
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