Quantum Systems will be at its booth at the Berlin Expo Center Airport during the International Aerospace Exhibition (ILA). In the foreground is a model of Quantum Systems’ Pulse P19 multirole flight system.
Sebastian Kristoff | Picture Alliance | Getty Images
Autonomous defense startup Quantum Systems has raised $1.2 billion in a Series D funding round, valuing it at about $8 billion post-money, the company announced Thursday.
This comes amid increased activity in the defense sector as investors race to put money into a new generation of companies developing military technology.
Quantum Systems, which develops unmanned systems for land, air and sea, said the funding round was co-led by Blackstone, Noteus, Airbus and Advent, with participation from Bond, Fidelity Management and Research Company, Balderton and HV Capital.
“Defense will be defined by autonomous systems that can work together in real time across multiple domains,” Florian Sabel, co-CEO and co-founder of the German startup, said in a statement.
“With Quantum Systems, we are building the next generation of NeoPrime with the potential to disrupt defenses as we know them today.” The company is profitable, Sabel added.
The new funding will be used to expand production capacity, strengthen supply chain resilience, expand delivery across relevant markets, and fund continued investment in software and AI capabilities.
Defense technology companies have already raised a record $17.4 billion so far this year, far more than the $11.2 billion the sector raised in 2025, according to Dealroom.
The biggest funding this year came from U.S. startups, with Anduril raising $5 billion in May, and Saronic Technologies and Shield AI raising $1.8 billion and $2 billion, respectively, in March.
In Europe, Hellsing plans to raise $1.2 billion at a valuation of $18 billion, the Financial Times reported in May. Mr. Helsing has been contacted for comment. Stark raised 500 million euros ($572 million) in a June funding round led by Sequoia Capital and Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund.
“The structural changes in the European defense market are creating significant capital needs to support the development of this sector and the introduction of advanced technology,” said David Caden, senior managing director at Blackstone.
The company’s systems are deployed in Ukraine and have carried out more than 19,000 missions in the country in 2025. Quantum Systems has expanded production to Germany, Ukraine, the United States, Australia, Romania, the United Kingdom and the Baltic States.
