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Stark Defence
Stark Defence

Stark Defence

Stark Defence is a Berlin-based defence technology company building loitering munitions and autonomous strike systems for European armed forces.

HQ
Berlin, DE
Founded
2024
Overview
Analysis
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Fundraising
Employees
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Stark Defence, legally SKD SE, is a Berlin-based defence technology company founded in 2024 that develops one-way effectors and loitering munitions for European armed forces. Its product line spans the VIRTUS long-range eVTOL loitering munition, the man-portable GAMBIT quadcopter, the tube-launched CASCADE effector, the VANTA unmanned surface vessel, and the MINERVA command-and-control software, built around a modular open-systems architecture.

Co-founded by Quantum Systems founder Florian Seibel and Johannes Schaback, and led since October 2025 by CEO Uwe Horstmann, Stark Defence operates across Germany, Ukraine, Sweden, Greece, and the United Kingdom and has secured a €268 million framework contract with the German armed forces that could reach €1 billion. In June 2026 it raised €500 million at a valuation above €3.5 billion, led by Sequoia Capital and Founders Fund with participation from the NATO Innovation Fund, Project A, Air Street Capital, 201 Ventures, Advent, and Döpfner Capital.

Stark Defence - Products & Services

  • Cascade logo

    Cascade

    Stark Defence's tube-launched effector for massed precision strikes.

    Competing Products

    Anduril Industries logo
    WB Group logo
  • Gambit logo

    Gambit

    Stark Defence's man-portable short-range loitering munition.

    Competing Products

    AeroVironment logo
    Mach Industries logo
  • Minerva logo

    Minerva

    Stark Defence's command-and-control software for multi-domain operations.

    Competing Products

    Anduril Industries logo
    Palantir logo
  • Vanta logo

    Vanta

    Stark Defence's unmanned surface vessel for maritime deterrence.

    Competing Products

    Anduril Industries logo
    Saildrone logo
  • Virtus logo

    Virtus

    Stark Defence's flagship loitering munition for massed precision strikes.

    Competing Products

    Anduril Industries logo
    AeroVironment logo
    Mach Industries logo

Stark Defence - Similar Companies

WB Group logo

WB Group

wbgroup.pl

Anduril Industries logo

Anduril Industries

anduril.com

Mach Industries logo

Mach Industries

machindustries.com

AeroVironment logo

AeroVironment

avinc.com

Palantir logo

Palantir

palantir.com

Saildrone logo

Saildrone

saildrone.com

Helsing logo

Helsing

helsing.ai

Kraken Technology Group logo

Kraken Technology Group

Heaviside Industries logo

Heaviside Industries

theheaviside.com

TEKEVER logo

TEKEVER

tekever.com

Terra Industries logo

Terra Industries

terraindustries.co

Neros logo

Neros

neros.tech

Alpine Eagle logo

Alpine Eagle

alpineeagle.com

Epirus logo

Epirus

epirusinc.com

Saronic Technologies logo

Saronic Technologies

saronic.com

Stark Defence - Quick Facts

Who are Stark Defence's competitors?

Companies similar to Stark Defence include WB Group, Anduril Industries, Mach Industries and AeroVironment.

When was Stark Defence founded?

Stark Defence was founded in 2024.

Where is Stark Defence's headquarters located?

Stark Defence's headquarters is located in Berlin, DE.

When was Stark Defence's last funding round?

Stark Defence's most recent funding round was for €500M (EUR) in June 2026.

How much has Stark Defence raised to-date?

As of Jun 23, 2026, Stark Defence has raised a total of 562M.

How many employees does Stark Defence have?

Stark Defence has 450 employees as of Feb 1, 2026.

Stark Defence - Classification

Industry
  • Defense
Ownership
  • Venture Capital
Technology
  • Artificial Intelligence
Geographic Exposure
  • Europe
Model
  • B2G
Customer
  • Government
Tags
  • Defense
  • Defense Technology
  • Drones
  • Loitering Munitions