Helsing, backed by Daniel Ek, valued at $18 billion

European military drone startup Helsing is set to raise $1.2 billion in new funding. This deal is expected to bring the company's total valuation to nearly $18 billion. According to the Financial Times, Dragoneer is leading the funding round, with Lightspeed participating as a co-investor. This is reported by Techcrunch.com reports.

Helsing last raised a major round in June 2025. At that time, a group led by Spotify founder Daniel Ek invested 600 million euros, valuing the company at 12 billion euros ($14 billion). The new deal represents significant growth for the company.

Currently, many startups are active in the European defense technology sector, but Helsing is considered the most valuable project in the eyes of investors. For comparison, German drone manufacturer Quantum Systems is valued at over 3 billion euros, and Lisbon-based Tekever at over 1 billion pounds.

The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine has become a testing ground for new technologies. Consequently, startups developing autonomous defense systems have become one of the most attractive sectors for venture capital. So far, representatives from Helsing, Dragoneer, and Lightspeed have declined to comment on these reports.