SWARM Biotactics is looking at the future of warfare a little differently. This German startup is developing bio-robotic systems using fully controllable living insects, has raised €10 million in seed funding. The Kassel-based company is building dual-use technologies for defense, national security, and disaster response.
Backers include Vertex Ventures US, Possible Ventures, and Capnamic. This brings the company’s total funding to €13 million, including a €3 million pre-seed round.
The technology sounds like something out of a bad sci-fi movie, but it’s surprisingly solid. DIY kits let you add remote controls to roaches by freezing them, cutting their antennae, and inserting small leads near their brains. While finicky, the approach may prove more useful than similarly sized nanomachines.
Founded in 2024 and led by CEO Stefan Wilhelm, SWARM Biotactics is developing sensor-equipped insects that combine neural interfaces, embedded AI, and swarm coordination. The goal is to deliver real-time intelligence from areas that are otherwise unreachable by conventional robots—collapsed buildings, tunnels, or dense infrastructure.
With a U.S. subsidiary in San Francisco and growing interest from public-sector customers, the company is moving from research to deployment. The new capital will support pilot programs in Europe and North America, alongside hiring in insect neurobiology, field robotics, and dual-use integration.
The company is also scaling production of its sensor backpacks and swarm infrastructure while expanding its R&D centers and global engineering hub.
Not surprisingly, bio-integrated robotics remains a very new space, but the defense and disaster response sectors are increasingly looking at unconventional platforms for search and rescue and inspection. It looks like we’re finally turning to our insectoid friends for help.
