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DefTech directory

Early-Stage DefTech Startups in Europe

DefTech is the wave of companies rebuilding how European nations sense, decide and act, with software-defined systems rather than decade-long procurement programs. The field runs from autonomous platforms and command software to sensing and the hardware underneath it. Much of it is dual-use, with the same autonomy and perception stacks serving civilian markets.

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Why deftech now

Europe is rearming, and a generation of venture-backed teams is moving faster than the primes they sell alongside. Sovereign capability, drone warfare lessons from Ukraine, and rising defense budgets have turned what was an unfundable category into one of the most active on the continent. The teams below are turning that demand into deployable product.

How we choose these companies

A public directory of early-stage European deftech startups. We aim to list every company that fits, not a hand-picked few. Here is exactly what that means, and why:

  • European: headquartered in Europe (EU, EEA, UK, Switzerland and nearby). We go by where a company is based, not just where it sells, because this is a map of the European ecosystem.
  • Early-stage: founded in the last 5 years. That is where the new ideas and the most active part of the ecosystem are; established household-name scaleups are a different list.
  • A real product company: builds a scalable technology product or platform. We leave out agencies, consultancies and local service businesses, which do not follow the same path.
  • Independent: a standalone company, not a subsidiary or brand of a larger corporation.
  • Active: currently operating, with a live website. We re-check regularly and remove companies that shut down, get acquired, or move out of scope.

We list only public information about what each company does. We deliberately do not track or show fundraising: who is raising, who is investing, or how much. This is a directory of companies, not a deal database.

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68 early-stage deftech startups in Europe

Founded in the last 5 years. A comprehensive list from public sources, not a hand-picked few.

  • Destinus

    Payerne, Switzerland

    Builds scalable strike and air-defence systems, including cruise missiles and interceptors, for European and allied forces.

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  • Blackswan Space

    Vilnius, Lithuania

    Provides autonomous satellite mission software for space situational awareness and safe orbital maneuvers.

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  • Lendurai

    Tallinn, Estonia

    Computer-vision and AI systems that let drones operate without GNSS satellite navigation or radio control in contested environments.

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  • Summa Defence

    Helsinki, Finland

    Develops dual-use and defense technologies, specializing in situational awareness, UAVs, and defense systems.

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  • FlyBvlos Technology

    Gebze, Turkey

    Produces long-range UAVs and provides drone-related flight training for defense and security sectors.

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  • REAKTO

    Kraków, Poland

    Offers semi-autonomous drone-in-a-box infrastructure for rapid-response aerial surveillance and security.

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  • PR-DC

    Belgrade, Serbia

    Designs and manufactures unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and drone systems for defense, security, and industrial applications.

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  • TYTAN Technologies

    Munich, Germany

    Builds low-cost, attritable interceptor drones produced via additive manufacturing to counter cheap aerial threats and protect infrastructure.

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  • Tethys Robotics

    Zurich, Switzerland

    Develops autonomous underwater drones designed for search, rescue, and inspection in demanding and high-current environments.

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  • Swarmly

    Limassol, Cyprus

    Develops and manufactures tactical unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for defense, surveillance, and dual-use missions.

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