Ground A raises €9M+ to bring laser-based counter-drone technology to market

German defense technology firm Ground A has emerged from stealth mode, raising over €9 million in a pre-seed financing round just six months after its founding. The new system, the GA 1000, integrates radar and various sensors with computer vision, proprietary AI, and precise laser effects. This allows it to automatically detect, classify, and track small and agile drones. An operator can decide whether to deploy the system's effector.

Weighing under 200 kilograms and with a footprint of a standard Euro-pallet, the GA 1000 is compact, mobile, and designed for multiple operational scenarios. It was not developed as a standalone system but can be integrated into existing air defense, command and control systems, and other land-, sea-, and air-based platforms.

The funding was led by Vsquared Ventures, with participation from defense tech company Quantum Systems and venture capital investors such as GRIF, Robin Capital, ABACON, Leblon Capital, and OVNI Capital. Ground A's team includes experienced entrepreneurs and investors from Europe's defense and software industries, such as Florian Seibel, Sven Kruck, J14 Capital, Andreas Nauerz, Marlon Braumann, and Arx Robotics Managing Director Stefan Roebel.

CEO and co-founder Dr Tobias Brune stated that they are focusing on product development and delivering results before discussing the company broadly. He emphasized that Europe needs fast and industrialized counter-drone solutions that work technically and can be scaled. The GA 1000 is the first product in Ground A's larger product platform.

Vsquared Ventures' General Partner Benedikt von Schoeler believes that effective and cost-efficient counter-drone technology is becoming a crucial technology for Europe's security. He highlighted that Ground A's system is not only high-performing but also mobile and rapidly deployable to protect critical infrastructure, whether civilian or military. Ground A plans to set up modular series production in Germany, with plans for significant production capacity expansion in the next financing round in 2027.