Berlin Drone Startup Stark Hits $500M Valuation Fast
Stark’s flagship drone Virtus is a unique, electrically-powered Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) system. © Stark Defence
A Berlin-based defense technology company has achieved unicorn status in just 18 months, highlighting Germany's growing prominence in military innovation.
Stark Defence, which develops autonomous armed drones exclusively for military purposes, recently closed a $65 million funding round led by Silicon Valley's Sequoia Capital. The round values the company at approximately $500 million, according to information from Gründerszene, bringing total investment to around $100 million.
The startup's impressive investor roster includes tech billionaire Peter Thiel, CIA-affiliated venture fund In-Q-Tel, the NATO Innovation Fund, Berlin-based Project A, and Doepfner Capital. Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale also reportedly explored participation in the funding round.
Founded by former Bundeswehr officer Florian Seibel, who previously created drone unicorn Quantum Systems, Stark Defence emerged when ethical restrictions at Quantum prevented weapons development. Seibel partnered with fellow ex-military officer Sven Kruck to launch Stark as an independent entity focused on combat applications.
The company is already testing its first drone system in active combat situations in Ukraine. These autonomous weapons, technically known as "loitering munition" or single-use drones, represent a rapidly growing segment of military technology.
Since summer 2025, Stark has aggressively expanded across Europe, opening a production facility in Swindon, UK, and acquiring Berlin software startup Pleno for drone swarm navigation technology. The company is also developing AI systems for battlefield data processing and multi-drone coordination, competing directly with German defense unicorn Helsing.
Both Stark and Helsing are currently undergoing testing with the German military, as the country plans to double its defense budget to €162 billion by 2029. This surge in European defense spending is driving unprecedented growth in the continent's military technology sector.