Founded in 2021 by Torsten Reil, Gundbert Scherf, and Niklas Köhler, the company develops military drones as well as artificial intelligence software designed to enhance weapons systems and improve battlefield decision-making.
Helsing was founded in 2021 originally as an artificial intelligence software company by Torsten Reil, a gaming developer; Gundbert Scherf, who previously worked in the German Ministry of Defence; and Niklas Köhler, a machine learning engineer.
[2][3] Their software uses AI to analyse large amounts of sensor and weapons system data, providing real-time battlefield insights that inform and enhance military decision-making.
[2] The company's initial funding of €100 million was led by Spotify founder Daniel Ek through his investment vehicle Prima Materia in November 2021.
The news sparked outrage among some Spotify artists, who advocated for boycotts and objected to the use of the service's streaming revenue to support military tech development.
[8] GC also led the third round with participation from Saab, Accel, Lightspeed, among others, raising €450 million, which valued Helsing at approximately €5 billion in July 2024.