Helsing, a five-year-old European military drone startup, is reportedly close to securing a $1.2 billion funding round at an approximate $18 billion valuation 1.
The round is expected to be led by Dragoneer and co-led by Lightspeed, an existing investor in Helsing 1.
Helsing's previous funding round, which took place in June 2025, was led by Spotify founder Daniel Ek, with an investment of â¬600 million at an estimated â¬12 billion valuation ($14 billion) 1.
Helsing is considered by investors as the most valuable European defense tech company 1.
Other European defense tech companies that have raised funds include German drone maker Quantum Systems, which raised â¬180 million in November, valuing the company at over â¬3 billion, and Lisbon-headquartered Tekever, which raised £400 million at a valuation above £1 billion a year ago 1.
ops.llm_calls. Every fact traces to a citation. If a fact looks wrong, write to corrections.