Helsing

Our second German resilience factory is now live, producing 1000 HX-2s every month, with the ability to add another 400-600 drones per month. The factory was designed to scale whilst rapidly accommodating design changes based on battlefield feedback. The factory's design and operation is being led by Dr. Michael Schwekutsch, Helsing's EVP Physical Products, who previously scaled production at Tesla. Michael's team is applying automotive-grade quality tools – digital factory twins, full component traceability, EN9100 certification – to ensure every system shipped meets the standards required for contested environments. For more details check out a recent German story from WirtschaftsWoche, link in comments.

HX-2s ready to go out for delivery. This is the Helsing factory output of half a week.

A lot has happened since last year's Munich Security Conference, when Helsing committed to helping build a stronger Europe by developing sovereign capabilities and scaling up manufacturing. Since then, we introduced CA-1 Europa, Europe's first autonomous fighter jet, controlled by Centaur, our RL-based AI pilot. We scaled up HX-2 mass production, now producing 1,000 strike drones every month. And we opened our resilience factory in Plymouth, UK, which will produce our subsurface glider SG-1. But another shift has happened: Europe's soul searching has given way to resolve. Defence budgets have risen, procurement has accelerated, and a new set of capabilities is being developed in record time across the European defence ecosystem. Europe is rising to the challenge. We are looking forward to a momentous Munich Security Conference.

Today, Helsing and HENSOLDT are announcing a strategic partnership to build the next generation of air combat systems: autonomous and intelligent. Our first joint project will focus on CA-1 Europa, Helsing's upcoming autonomous fighter jet platform. CA-1 will integrate Hensoldt's advanced radar, optronics, self-protection and electromagnetic warfare sensors to provide unparalleled capabilities in this category. By building on Hensoldt's high-performance sensor suite, Helsing is able to further enhance the capabilities of its air combat AI algorithms, which have previously been demonstrated in live missions above the Baltic sea. "Modern air systems must detect, decide and act faster while remaining secure and connected across domains. This requires the integration of high-performance sensors and artificial intelligence", said Stephanie Lingemann, Vice President Air at Helsing.  "This partnership between Hensoldt and Helsing brings together two European defence technology companies focused on advancing sovereign capabilities – designed and built in Europe." 

Are you seeking a career that truly makes a difference? At Helsing, we're working on defending European democracies.     Our mission is advanced by our team, our founders, and our investors, who are all rooted in the pluralistic and open values of open societies and western-style democracies.    We're expanding our teams across Europe from engineering and AI research to commercial and finance roles, and we seek passionate, innovative minds to join us in Germany, the UK, France, and beyond.    Explore our open positions and learn more about our mission: https://lnkd.in/ds4B3fmP

Helsing’s Chief Scientist Antoine B., together with his co-authors Jason Weston, Ronan Collobert and Yoshua Bengio, has received the prestigious AAAI Classic Paper Award from the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI). It recognises research that has had a significant and lasting impact on the field of artificial intelligence. Their paper pioneered a way for AI to learn from structured and verifiable facts, a breakthrough that was fundamental for the very first generative AI models.  Antoine joined Helsing in 2023 and relocated to Europe, his home, to solve some of Europe’s most critical security and AI challenges. Fifteen years after writing this landmark paper, he is still honouring its main principle and building trustworthy systems that will stand the test of time. If you are an AI researcher wanting to build with Antoine, join us! We’re hiring top AI talent. https://helsing.ai/careers

Helsing has completed flight testing for Cirra, an AI-powered electronic warfare system that identifies unknown radar threats in real time through on-board processing. The system was integrated into Helsing’s flying testbed with a live satellite link to the ground for live telemetry, allowing real-time validation using operational data rather than simulation alone. Unlike traditional systems that rely on pre-programmed threat libraries, Cirra uses AI and deep learning to determine radar intent, enabling pilots in the air to respond to adaptive, software-defined radars. Cirra is currently the only sovereign system available to European air forces capable of interpreting previously unseen radar emitters in flight.

It was a pleasure to bring the full team together in Berlin for our biggest ever all-staff gathering, where we were joined by an exceptional group of speakers.  We were delighted to welcome the Ukrainian Ambassador Oleksii Makeiev to share insights from his country, the former Chief of MI6, and fantastic tech industry figures such as Janina Voigt.    They were joined by leading military and geopolitical practitioners including General Sir Nick Carter, General Chris Cavoli and Gabrielius Landsbergis. Their perspectives sharpened our thinking and reinforced the responsibility we carry in the work we do every single day.  To cap off an intense year at Helsing of product development, field demonstrations and company growth, the team also managed to squeeze in an ice rink, a winter wonderland, a visit to the German Spy Museum and 63 fringe events ranging from ‘AI assurance’ to our Veterans staff group.      Finally, a special mention to our colleagues who could not attend due to important commitments in testing and delivering our products - none more so than those in Ukraine. Thank you. 

Helsing, Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, HENSOLDT and Isar Aerospace are joining forces to build a next-generation sovereign space capability.   The new satellite constellation will provide sovereign, space-based intelligence, surveillance, and targeting (IST) capabilites for Europe by 2029, as a direct response to the continent’s need for greater deterrence.    The collaboration will deliver the required capability by integrating key technologies from each partner: Kongsberg will contribute its advanced satellites. Helsing will integrate its proven, AI-driven Altra software platform to fuse data from multiple modalities, including synthetic aperture radar (SAR), electro-optical (EO), and radio frequency (RF). Our on-board AI algorithms are already deployed and proven in orbit. Hensoldt will provide its world-leading SAR radar, EO/IR (Electro-Optical/Infrared), and EW (Electronic Warfare) sensors. The partnership is complemented by Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT), which operates the world’s largest ground network for satellite command and control, and Isar Aerospace as the preferred partner for launch.    This comprehensive approach, from sensor to satellite to launch, will establish a self-reliant European defence capability and create local production facilities in Germany. Picture shows: Daniel Metzler, CEO of Isar Aerospace, Dr. Gundbert Scherf, Co-CEO and Co-Founder Helsing, Eirik Lie, President of Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, Dietmar Thelen, Head of Multi-Domain Solutions Division Hensoldt.

Helsing is proud of its Anglo-German heritage – and this week, honoured to participate in the State Visit that underscored just how vital close cooperation between our nations has become. Dr. Gundbert Scherf joined President Steinmeier’s official delegation, including an audience with HM The King, and visits to the Houses of Parliament and Downing Street for discussions on deepening bilateral initiatives with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Secretary of State for Business and Trade Peter Kyle. There was also time for the ceremonial moments that strengthen the bonds between our countries. Helsing was represented at both the State Banquet and the Lady Mayor’s Reception. Today, Europe faces an urgent imperative: we must come together to secure our shared future. The UK-German axis has been significantly strengthened – from Trinity House to the Kensington Treaty – demonstrating that when our nations act decisively together, Europe is stronger. At Helsing, we are grateful to be contributing to this close partnership.