Munich-based Alpine Eagle, a defence tech startup building software for defence drones and the world’s first air-to-air counter-drone system, has secured €10.25M in seed funding.
The investment round was led by IQ Capital, with participation from HTGF, Expeditions Fund, and Sentris Capital. Previous investors General Catalyst and HCVC, who led the company’s pre-seed round, also contributed.
Archie Muirhead, Partner at IQ Capital, says, “Jan-Hendrik and Timo are rare founders with a combination of research excellence, engineering pragmatism, and absolute customer focus evident in the products they build.”
“What the Alpine Eagle team has managed to deliver in under 18 months is extraordinary, and with this additional capita,l we look forward to supporting them to provide further resilience capacity to allied nations and organisations threatened by unmanned systems.”
The funds will support the development of Alpine Eagle’s Sentinel product, expansion of commercial teams, and preparation for international growth to address autonomous warfare challenges.
Addressing the rise of low-cost, autonomous drones
Alpine Eagle has developed an air-to-air counter-drone system. Its software uses machine learning, sensors, and computer vision to detect, classify, and neutralise hostile drones, including small drones and loitering munitions.
The company’s Sentinel-OS Counter-UAS software is designed to integrate with different hardware for deployment and customisation. The platform provides early warning capabilities and operates in contested environments.
Detection, classification, and defensive swarm functions are supported by active and passive sensors that can be adjusted for different threat scenarios. The company is also working on drone interception technology to address low-cost drone threats in military and civilian settings.
Alpine Eagle was founded in 2023 by CEO Jan-Hendrik Boelens and Director Timo Breuer. Boelens previously worked at Airbus, Volocopter, and Quantum Systems, while Breuer has experience at Microsoft Research and Fraunhofer Gesellschaft.
Major General Rupert Jones, says, “The character of war is changing at an extraordinary pace, not least due to the proliferation of unmanned systems. Threats are growing and evolving every day. European Defence startups, like Alpine Eagle, are at the forefront of technical and capability developments. It is vital that European governments collaborate with them to accelerate the growth of a resilient European Defence industry.”
Alexandre Flamant, Partner at HCVC, adds, “From a pre-seed pitch less than two years ago to winning contracts with the German Army, we’re proud to continue backing this European defence story. These Dutch-German founders, bolstered by pan-European funds, are delivering a cost-efficient airborne C-UAS to deter modern drone threats.”
Growth and development
Since its launch, Alpine Eagle has gained customers, including the German military (Bundeswehr), and reached seven-digit revenues in its first year.
The new funding will support hiring, growing the team to more than 40 members across product, engineering, business development, and sales. It will also help expand the company’s product offerings and support its growth beyond Germany.
Jan-Hendrik Boelens, co-founder and CEO of Alpine Eagle, says, “It took around 50 years to get from the biplanes used in WW1 to modern fighter jets. Yet, with the development of technology and low-cost hardware, it will take less than five years before we see fully automated drone-on-drone engagements.”
“With the rapid evolution of drone warfare, we see an enormous demand for systems to provide affordable and scalable defensive capabilities. In the rapidly changing geopolitical environment, Europe needs innovation in defence more than ever.”
“We are the European defence tech startup that will provide the technological means to ensure the security and stability of our continent, and I’m delighted that our new and previous investors share that vision with us.”
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