Stark Defence
Summary active Updated Jun 29, 2026This profile is AI-generated. If you spot an error, please help us fix it by sharing a URL to the correct information.
Investors
Founders
About
Stark Defence is a Berlin-based defense technology company developing one-way attack drones, also known as loitering munitions, for European militaries 12. The company was founded in 2024 by Florian Seibel, who previously built Munich-based surveillance drone maker Quantum Systems, alongside Johannes Schaback 123. Uwe Horstmann, a founding partner of Berlin venture firm Project A, was appointed CEO in October 2025 13. Stark’s lead product is the Virtus loitering munition, and Germany awarded Stark and Munich rival Helsing initial contracts worth roughly €269 million each in February 2026 to equip the Bundeswehr’s 45th Armoured Brigade in Lithuania 13. The company has committed more than 80% of its new capital to research, manufacturing, and scaling production toward thousands of systems per month 123.
Funding History
| Date | Round | Amount | Lead | Co-investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-23 | Series C | €500M | Sequoia Capital, Founders Fund | NATO Innovation Fund, Project A, Air Street Capital, 201 Ventures, Döpfner Capital 123 |
The Series C closed at a post-money valuation above €3.5 billion, roughly tripling Stark’s prior valuation, and brings total capital raised since founding to approximately €640 million 123.
What Investors Say
No independently sourced investor quotes specific to the Series C have been verified at this time.
What Founders Say
“The challenge facing Europe is no longer whether we can innovate, it’s whether we can scale. This financing is a €500m commitment to Europe’s defence industrial base.” — Uwe Horstmann, CEO, Stark Defence, quoted in Sifted, June 23, 2026 1
Sources
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Sifted, “Drones startup Stark confirms €500m raise backed by Sequoia and Founders Fund,” June 23, 2026. Accessed June 2026. https://sifted.eu/articles/stark-defence-drones-funding-round-confirms↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩
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The Next Web, “Stark Defence raises €500M led by Sequoia and Founders Fund at a valuation above €3.5 billion,” June 23, 2026. Accessed June 2026. https://thenextweb.com/news/stark-defence-500-million-sequoia-founders-fund-3-5-billion-valuation↩↩↩↩↩
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Bloomberg, “Sequoia, Founders Fund Back German Drone Startup Stark at $3.5 Billion Valuation,” June 23, 2026. Accessed June 2026. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-06-23/sequoia-founders-fund-back-german-drone-startup-stark-at-3-5-billion-valuation↩↩↩↩↩↩