The brief

Analyst view

• Bundestag approved about EUR 270M for 2,200 Virtus drones in Feb 2026, first draw on a framework of up to EUR 4.4B shared with Helsing.
• Raised EUR 500M in June 2026, co-led by Sequoia and Founders Fund, at a valuation above EUR 3.5B.
• Virtus missed all four strikes in Oct 2025 trials; Bundeswehr tests in Dec 2025 reported hit rates above 90%.

Technical approach

As reported

VTOL

Takes off like a helicopter

Virtus lifts off vertically on electric rotors, then flies like a plane, so troops can launch it from a small clearing in minutes.

Navigation

Flies without GPS

It finds its way with onboard cameras and visual navigation instead of relying on satellite positioning, so GPS jamming does not blind it.

Software

One system, many drones

STARK's MINERVA command software plans missions and coordinates several drones at once.

Ukraine

Built from front-line lessons

STARK tests in Ukraine and has sites in Germany, Ukraine, the UK, Greece and Sweden, aiming to make thousands of systems a month.

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