Helsing, founded in 2021 and based in Munich, builds AI-enabled defence software and systems for air, land, sea and electronic warfare. It raised a $1.8 billion Series E in July 2026 at an $18 billion post-money valuation.
At a glance
| Price from | Custom |
| Best for | European defence ministries and armed forces |
From Helsing's own website.
What stands out
- Builds both software and hardware
- Very large funding base
Worth knowing
- Defence customers only
- Military AI draws ethical scrutiny
How it ranks
Helsing is ranked 2nd of 10 in Best AI Startups in Europe (Lister Score 96.0).
#2 in Best AI Startups in Europe · Lister Score 96.0
Helsing's July 2026 Series E was reported as the largest funding round for a European defence technology startup..
| Rank | Best AI Startups in Europe | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mistral AI | 97.2 |
| 2 | Helsing | 96.0 |
| 3 | Lovable | 94.7 |
| 4 | ElevenLabs | 93.5 |
| 5 | Wayve | 92.2 |
| 6 | Legora | 90.8 |
| 7 | Synthesia | 89.5 |
| 8 | Black Forest Labs | 88.1 |
| 9 | Parloa | 86.6 |
| 10 | DeepL | 85.2 |
Frequently asked questions
How does Helsing rank on Lister?
Helsing is ranked 2nd of 10 in Best AI Startups in Europe (Lister Score 96.0).
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