German defence technology company Quantum Systems raised $1.2 billion in fresh funding led by Airbus and other investors, valuing the drone maker at about $8 billion and marking one of the largest private investment rounds to date in a European defence technology company.
The valuation is roughly eight times higher than a year ago. The Munich-based Quantum Systems said the funding round was backed by international investors.
CEO Sven Kruck said: the fresh funding would support the expansion of the company’s production across allied markets and the development of interoperable autonomous systems linked through its Mosaic UXS software ecosystem.
The financing reflects the rapid transformation of Europe’s defence sector over the past two years, as investors increasingly back drone, software and autonomous systems companies. More recently, Drone maker Stark raised €500 million. Rival Helsing, the EU’s most valuable defence startup, is expected to complete a $1.2 billion funding round soon that could value the company at about $18 billion.