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Quantum Systems, a Drone Startup, Lands $1.2B Series D

Published Jul 2, 2026
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Summary:
  • Quantum Systems raised $1.2 billion in a Series D round, valuing the company at about $8 billion.
  • The startup develops autonomous drones and unmanned vehicles for land, air, and sea military operations.
  • Defense tech firms globally have raised a record $17.4 billion this year, far exceeding the $11.2 billion in 2025.

The firm disclosed that Blackstone, Noteus, Airbus, and Advent served as joint lead investors in the round, which also saw participation from Bond, Balderton, HV Capital, and Fidelity Management and Research Company.

"Defense will be defined by autonomous systems that can operate together across domains in real time," stated Florian Seibel, who co-founded the German startup and serves as its co-CEO. "With Quantum Systems, we are building a next generation neo prime that has the potential to disrupt defense as we know it today."

Seibel also noted that the company is profitable. The funding will go toward increasing production capacity, improving supply chain resilience, expanding deliveries to allied nations, and continuing investment in software and artificial intelligence.

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According to Dealroom, defense technology firms have raised a record $17.4 billion this year, significantly more than the $11.2 billion they secured in all of 2025. The largest funding rounds in 2025 have been from American startups: Anduril raised $5 billion in May, Saronic Technologies $1.8 billion in March, and Shield AI $2 billion in March. In Europe, Helsing is reportedly planning a $1.2 billion round at an $18 billion valuation, according to the Financial Times in May.

Helsing did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Stark raised €500 million ($572 million) in June, with Sequoia Capital and Peter Thiel's Founders Fund leading the round.

Commenting on the investment, David Kaden, a senior managing director at Blackstone, said, "A structural shift in the European defense market has created significant demand for capital to support the sector's development and the adoption of advanced technologies."

The war in Ukraine has underscored the urgent need for autonomous systems that can operate across air, land, and sea, reducing risk to human soldiers while delivering persistent surveillance and strike capabilities. European governments are increasingly prioritizing domestic defense manufacturing to ensure sovereign control over supply chains, creating a favorable environment for companies like Quantum Systems.

Quantum Systems reported that its systems have been deployed in Ukraine and completed more than 19,000 missions there in 2025. Quantum Systems now operates production facilities across Germany, Ukraine, Australia, Romania, the United States, the United Kingdom, and multiple Baltic nations.

The rapid growth of Quantum Systems reflects a broader pivot among European governments and investors toward indigenous defense manufacturing, particularly after the war in Ukraine exposed critical gaps in allied drone capabilities. With its latest funding, Quantum Systems aims to position itself as a European counterweight to American giants like Anduril and Shield AI, serving allied markets that demand sovereign control over their defense supply chains.

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