Alta Ares, the French startup building AI-powered air defence systems, has raised a €50m Series A to ramp up the production of its technology.
The round was led by European solo GP fund Air Street Capital, and included London-based investor Cherry Ventures, Polish VC OTB Ventures and US firm Harpoon Ventures.
Alta Ares, which launched at the start of 2024, is building systems that can detect, identify and intercept enemy aircraft, as well as the AI software suite to power those systems.
The European defence tech sector is hotter than ever: not even midway through 2026 defence and dual use startups in the region have secured €2.1bn in funding, according to Sifted data, nearly as much as in all of 2025 (€2.5bn).
Air defence systems, in particular, have become a critical component in recent conflicts including Ukraine’s war with Russia and on-going tensions in the Middle East.
Europe’s defence investors have been increasingly eager to back cheaper air defence systems over the last year, with startups like Germany’s Tytan Technologies, Estonia’s Frankenburg Technologies, Latvia’s Origin Robotics and Sweden’s Nordic Air Defence all receiving VC funding in recent months.
Alta Ares says it differentiates itself from competitors because its products are currently deployed in active conflict zones, including in Europe and the Middle East.
“We’re operationally deployed right now, which is not the case of every hot player in the game,” says Hadrien Canter, cofounder and CEO of Alta Ares. “We have three teams working with the military in three conflict zones, where our systems are currently intercepting.”
What is Alta Ares building?
Canter, who spent some of his high school years in Ukraine, says the company was initially founded to respond to operational needs on the Ukrainian front.
“When in 2022 the war with Russia escalated, I went to Ukraine with a few engineers and we started working on software to automate some missions in the battlefield,” says Canter. “It forged the company’s DNA — we are an operational business that provides capabilities.”
Alta Ares develops one system designed for a short-range radius and specialising in intercepting threats like Iranian Shahed drones, and another medium-range interceptor designed for cruise missiles and glide bombs.
The startup has multi-year partnerships with governments, and also counts French prime Thales among its customers.
The main objective of the fundraise, says Canter, is to increase the company’s production capabilities.
“We are scaling up so we can honour the contracts we have signed, with hundreds of deliveries planned in the next six months to several different countries,” says Canter. “We’re coming out of the prototyping phase and starting mass production.”
Alta Ares will rely on external manufacturers as well as in-house capabilities, with a new production facility due to open in Toulouse in France by the end of the month. From the start of 2027, says Canter, the company plans to be making 1,000 units per month.
The team, which currently counts 70 people, is set to double in the coming months, with a focus on Germany, the Middle East and the US, as well as Ukraine, where Alta Ares plans to invest €10m in new recruits and infrastructure.
