Drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport underscores threat as INLEAP Photonics raises €20 million for drone defence
Hannover-based DeepTech company INLEAP Photonics has closed a €20 million Seed funding round for its laser-based drone defence in order to accelerate the scaling of its technology for defence applications and the protection of critical infrastructure. The round was led by UVC Partners, with participation from HTGF, Balnord, Sentries, and Scale Capital. “Our technology has […] The post Drone…
Hannover-based DeepTech firm INLEAP Photonics has secured €20 million in seed funding to enhance its laser-based drone defence technology for defence applications and protection of critical infrastructure. The round was spearheaded by UVC Partners, with support from HTGF, Balnord, Sentries, and Scale Capital. INLEAP Photonics' CEO and founder, Dr.-Ing.
Marius Lammers, stated that the company is now focusing on manufacturing, quality assurance, sales, and service to meet market demand and deliver its systems at scale. INLEAP Photonics' seed funding comes as European investment in counter-drone, unmanned systems, and defence autonomy technologies continues to rise in 2026. Other notable rounds include €30 million for Estonia's Frankenburg Technologies, €15 million for Finland's Kelluu, and €12 million for Norway's Six Robotics.
Germany's largest same-country comparison is Quantum Systems' €1 billion Series D funding in July. Together, these 2026 rounds amount to around €1.07 billion. INLEAP Photonics' CEO, Dr.-Ing. Felix Wellmann, emphasized the company's dual-use capability, meeting both civilian and conflict zone requirements. The investment will be used to scale production, research and development, sales and service, and quality assurance.
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