Spotify’s Daniel Ek just bets more for Helsing, Europe for defense, dear

When Daniel EC is not busy manage Spotify or build his new AI-managed health endeavor, he makes massive bets on the future of the European War, at first glance.

The billionaire, who primarily lives in Stockholm, simply brought an investment in 600 million euros in Helsing, a four -year -old, based in a Munich Defense Technology Company, which is now estimated at 12 billion euros, according to the Financial Times. The deal makes it one of the most precious private companies in Europe; It also emphasizes Europe’s struggle to build its own military muscle as the world is growing softer and the United States is turning inward.

The numbers help to tell the story. Helsing raised $ 450 million, just shy a year ago; Now I’m back with this bigger round, led by EK’s Prima Mater investment company. It is part of a wider boom in the defense technological boom that is watching money in companies such as US giant Anduril, who has just raised $ 2.5 billion led by the founders’ Fund and European producers of Quantum Systems and Tekever drones. (In recent weeks, they have announced 160 million euros respectively and 70 million euros in circles that bring them into the so -called unicorn territory)

TechCrunch has contacted Helsing for more details about how he plans to use new funding.

As for what Helsing is doing, Wired said last year to think about it by turning the modern war into something that looks more like a video game except many real consequences. The company’s main product takes huge amounts of data from military sensors, radars and weapons systems, after which it uses AI to create intuitive real -time visualizations on what is happening on the battlefield. Instead of making soldiers to make life or death decisions based on phone calls and hand -painted cards, everyone sees the same information, whether from the trench on the front line or at the command center for miles.

But what started as a software company AI has become much more ambitious. Helsing is now building its own impact drones and planes and said it works on a fleet of unmanned mini submarines to unleash the naval monitoring.

Time is no accident. As US investor Eric Skissinger told TechCrunch this spring, « European governments waited too long to rethink what the agreement for their own security means. » The call of waking came with the invasion of Russia in Ukraine, which made it clear that Europe could not rely solely on US defense. The US election late last year by President Donald Trump – which is much more interested in the progress of US interests – has since put a much more fine point.

Now European leaders are talking about spending big defense while achieving strategic autonomy, which means their ability to cope with their own security. Greek Prime Minister Kiriakos Mitotakis has recently summarized the movement in a separate interview with TechCrunch: « We will spend a lot of money on defense like Europe. The landscape of defense is changing, which will no longer deal with planes, tanks – all this will be much more numeric and AI. »

A few years ago, this realization was the impetus of the NATO Innovation Fund, the world’s first Multi-Sinery Fund for Risk Capital, supported by 24 NATO allies. But the capital’s pool is just one of several signs that Europe has grown seriously towards building its own technological ecosystem, not relying on the United States for protection.

The EC, which first invests in Helsing in 2021, before the outbreak of Ukraine, may have seen for a while where something is being directed. As he said in a press release on Monday’s funding: « As Europe is rapidly strengthening its defense capabilities in response to developing geopolitical challenges, there is an urgent need for investment in advanced technology that guarantees its strategic autonomy. »

Other investors in the new Helsing round include Lightspeed Ventures, Accel, Plural, General Catalyst and Saab and New Investors BDT & MSD Partners. The company has now raised 1.37 billion euros.