Inside Helsing’s push to reshape Europe’s defense industry – Decode39

Inside Helsing’s push to reshape Europe’s defense industry  Decode39

Helsing, a German defense tech startup founded in 2021, is revolutionizing the defense industry with its software-defined approach and AI capabilities. It has expanded into hardware, developing products like the HX-2 Strike Drone and the CA-1 Europa autonomous combat aircraft, and is investing in capabilities across reconnaissance, strike, maritime, and space domains. Helsing emphasizes speed and scalability, leveraging its agility to respond quickly to market demands and operational feedback, and collaborates with governments and industry partners to drive innovation and build a robust European defense industry The term defense tech does more than describe the application of new and disruptive technologies to the military sector; it also refers to a genuine paradigm shift in the way the defense industry manages its internal processes, sets priorities, and structures its relationships with the armed forces.

While in the U.S. this approach is embodied by companies such as Anduril and Palantir, in Europe the model—built around speed and scalability—is being brought to the continent by Helsing, a German startup founded in 2021. Airpress discussed this transformation and Europe’s prospects with Frank Dirksen, Helsing’s chief commercial officer. Q: Helsing was founded as a “software-defined” company and later expanded into hardware as well. How has the company’s strategy changed over these five years? A: Helsing is still a very young company, founded five years ago,