German defence technology company Quantum Systems has raised $1.2 billion (£880 million) to accelerate its ambition of becoming one of Europe’s next defence primes, as investors continue to pour money into autonomous military systems.
The Munich-based company said its Series D financing values the business at around $8 billion post-money, more than doubling its previous valuation. The round was co-led by Blackstone, Noteus, Airbus, and Advent, with backing from institutional investors including Fidelity Management & Research Company, Wellington Management, A.P. Moller Holding, and BOND, as well as existing investors Balderton, HV Capital and Omnes Capital, among others.
European defence startups have found no shortage of investors in recent years, as governments spend more on military capabilities and look to buy more equipment closer to home.
Quantum Systems develops autonomous intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) platforms and has increasingly positioned itself as a supplier of interconnected autonomous systems rather than standalone drones. Rather than focusing solely on aircraft, the company is building a broader software ecosystem designed to connect autonomous systems operating across multiple domains.
That strategy has also been reflected in a series of acquisitions. Since its previous funding round, Quantum Systems has acquired companies including Estonian defence AI specialist SensusQ, autonomous logistics company Fernride, and computer vision firm Spleenlab, expanding its capabilities beyond unmanned aircraft as it builds what it describes as a multi-domain autonomy platform.
The company said the new capital will be used to expand manufacturing capacity, strengthen supply chains, increase deliveries to allied nations, and continue investing in software and artificial intelligence.
Alongside the funding announcement, Quantum Systems confirmed it would deepen its strategic partnership with Airbus Defence and Space to develop next-generation sovereign European defence capabilities. The companies said they would combine expertise in software, AI, and defence architecture to improve the integration of autonomous systems with existing military platforms.
Florian Seibel, co-chief executive and co-founder of Quantum Systems, said autonomous systems would define the future of defence, adding that the company was building what he described as a “next generation neo prime” capable of disrupting the traditional defence industry.
“We are profitable, deployed around the world and with the latest financing round we now have more than $1.2Bn of dry powder to execute,” Seibel said.
The company said it had already demonstrated its technology at an operational scale. During 2025, Quantum Systems’ platforms flew more than 19,000 missions in Ukraine, where unmanned systems have become central to intelligence gathering and battlefield operations.
It has also expanded manufacturing and operations across Germany, Ukraine, the United States, Australia, Romania, the United Kingdom, and the Baltic.
