German unmanned weapons systems startup Stark has raised $62m in funding led by Sequoia Capital at a $500m valuation.
The startup was set up in 2024 by Florian Seibel, the cofounder of German autonomous drones startup Quantum Systems, to build weaponised drones. It has reportedly already garnered investment from American-German billionaire Peter Thiel and Sequoia. Stark told Sifted in an email that it has now raised $100m in total funding.
Stark confirmed the fundraise to Sifted. Bloomberg had previously reported that the new raise was in progress. Seibel is no longer involved in day-to-day operations at Stark owing to his position at Quantum Systems, but he remains a board member. Sifted understands Project A is also involved in the round.
Stark recently acquired Berlin-based Pleno, which built autonomous navigation software for drones, to boost its swarming capabilities. It also announced its expansion to the UK — a current hot spot for European defence techs — in July, setting up a new factory to produce drones.
Sifted reached out to Sequoia Capital for comment.
