Europe is facing the threat of being a geopolitical “sitting duck", unless it embraces drones and other modern defence technology, according to the co-founder of German defence tech startup Alpine Eagle.
Speaking on the Tech.eu podcast, Jan-Hendrik Boelens, the co-founder and CEO of Munich-based Alpine Eagle, which has developed an air-to-air counter-drone system, said: “The US has quite a few defence-oriented startups.
“I think Russia is learning a lot from the current ongoing conflict. China is innovating at record speed.
"So if Europe doesn’t want to get left behind and essentially be, for lack of a better word, a sitting duck in the international geopolitical spheres, then we need homegrown innovative defence capabilities.”
Alpine Eagle, founded in 2023, has secured the German military as its launch customer and is looking for private and government defence contracts. It raised €10.25m in March this year.
Defence tech is a hot area across the startup industry, spearheaded by the likes of Helsing and Anduril.
Investment in European startups working on defence and related technologies jumped 24 per cent in 2024 to $5.2bn, according to industry figures.
In the podcast, Boelens talks about European shared values of liberal societies adhering to the rule of law and how these values are under threat.
He said: “This does not come for free. Freedom isn’t for free. And if all else fails, we need to be able to defend ourselves.
“I am convinced that Europe needs the innovative defence capabilities in order to do that.”
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