Munich-based defense AI company Helsing has raised €450M in a Series C funding round led by General Catalyst, with contributions from Elad Gil, Accel, Saab, Lightspeed, Plural, and Greenoaks. The funding, which values the company at €4.9B according to Bloomberg, is subject to government approval.

Helsing, founded in 2021 to protect democratic values and open societies, develops AI software for battlefield use. The company emphasizes the importance of freedom of expression and identity, viewing their preservation as a civic duty for future generations. Recognizing that modern defense challenges are primarily software-related, Helsing creates advanced AI architectures and algorithms to safeguard societies. By collaborating with governments and industry partners, Helsing enhances existing hardware capabilities and has secured several government contracts.

Words from the movers and shakers:

“Since its inception, we have been able to watch the Helsing team execute with a great sense of urgency to build AI-based defense capabilities for European democracies.

I have deep conviction that Helsing is on the path to becoming a global category leader. As we witness battlefronts on European soil for the first time in decades, we believe the role of companies like Helsing has never been more critical.”

— Jeannette zu Fürstenberg, MD and Head of Europe at General Catalyst

“European security is at a crossroads and Helsing will play a significant role in giving democratic societies the ability to deter and defend. But speed is of the essence. This new funding round allows us to further up the tempo and invest in large-scale R&D and capabilities across all domains.”

— joint statement from Helsing’s three founders Niklas Köhler, Torsten Reil and Gundbert Scherf

Featured image: Helsing co-founders (left to right) Torsten Reil, Dr. Gundbert Scherf and Niklas Kohler. Credit: Helsing