What Helsing's move into drones means for European defence tech

Published on January 29, 2025

In early December, German AI defence startup Helsing announced a big move: the company, which had previously only produced AI-powered software for defence, was building its own autonomous strike drones.

Since its founding in 2021, Helsing has been notoriously ambiguous about what it is building — some kind of AI battlefield software, which can use inputs from sensors and cameras on vehicles to map out battlefields — but clear that it was software-only. Now, the startup is also producing its own autonomous striking drones called HX-2.

If you ask defence industry insiders, the about-face didn’t come as a surprise. But it may have implications for the many other startups — including other autonomous drone companies — battling for customers.

Read the full article here.

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