Jan-Hendrik Boelens on Alpine Eagle’s Progress, European Defence Investment, and What’s Next

That early traction came from a deliberate strategy: start with mature European-built hardware and layer in proprietary software. Rather than spend years developing a clean-sheet drone, Sentinel sourced a combat-tested platform already in production and focused its energy on integration, software, and field readiness. The approach gave them speed and helped prove demand without overextending on manufacturing.

That MVP is now operational, and the company is expanding on several fronts. First, it has opened its first international office, with plans to enter new European markets over the coming year. Second, it’s broadening the product portfolio. Sentinel’s new Interceptor platform marks a shift into hardware development, with a larger pipeline of vertically integrated systems in the works.

The European defence tech market, Boelens says, remains strong. “It’s probably one of the few sectors where demand is clearly increasing,” he said. Budgets are rising, and procurement cycles are shifting to make room for startups although challenges remain. Boelens was clear that defence is not a standard B2B market: procurement is complex, politically sensitive, and highly fragmented across ministries, border agencies, and armed services. For new entrants, choosing your launch market matters. Countries vary widely in how they treat startups, both in budget scale and process.

When asked whether Alpine Eagle is planning another raise, Boelens confirmed that a Series A is in sight, but not imminent. “We’re well funded for now,” he said. “But our ambition is to become a major European player, and we’ll raise when it’s time.”

Alpine Eagle will be back at the next Resilience Conference this September. Expect more updates—and a closer look at what the next generation of European defence startups can bring to market.