INLEAP Photonics Secures 20 Million Euros for Laser-Based Drone Defense

The German deep-tech company INLEAP Photonics has closed a seed funding round totaling approximately 20 million euros. The round was led by UVC Partners. Other investors include HTGF from Germany, Balnord from Poland, Sentris from Estonia, and Scale Capital from Denmark.

The company plans to use the capital to expand its manufacturing and testing capabilities and accelerate the transition to mass production of its laser-based drone defense systems. INLEAP’s solutions are designed for both military applications and the protection of critical civilian infrastructure.

Funding for Manufacturing, Quality Assurance, and Sales

According to the company, INLEAP Photonics is using this funding to respond to rising demand for its systems. The company is already collaborating with the German Federal Ministry of Defense and the Bundeswehr’s Cyber Innovation Hub. It also has a strategic partnership with STARK Defence.

“Our technology has gained a foothold in the market and is seeing a strong influx of orders.”

Marius Lammers, Founder and CEO of INLEAP Photonics

The new capital will now be directed primarily toward manufacturing, testing capabilities, quality assurance, sales, and service. At the same time, the company plans to further expand its workforce. The goal is to establish INLEAP Photonics as a leading European provider of laser effectors.

Laser to Specifically Neutralize Drones

The company’s technological foundation consists of high-precision, high-speed laser beam steering systems. With FASTLIGHT SHIELD, INLEAP has developed a system designed to use lasers to specifically neutralize drones by targeting previously identified vulnerabilities. According to the company, the intervention takes place within fractions of a second. The system was designed for both military applications and civilian use cases, as well as critical infrastructure.

Lead investor UVC Partners views this dual-use focus in particular as a key factor for scaling up the business. In addition to military facilities, airports, energy plants, and data centers, for example, could be potential areas of application.

Mobile Drone Defense on an Unmanned Platform

With FASTLIGHT HELD, INLEAP is also working on a mobile version of its technology. This combines the laser effector with a compact, all-terrain unmanned ground platform and C-UAS software.

The move to mass production requires more than just additional capacity

Dr.-Ing. Felix Wellmann, CTO and Co-Founder

This will enable the system to be used in mobile deployment scenarios as well. Technologically, it is based on the same foundation as FASTLIGHT SHIELD. The challenge now lies, in particular, in turning the developed systems into a scalable industrial product.

Investors from several European countries

Led by UVC Partners, the funding round has a European focus. In addition to HTGF, Balnord, Sentris, and Scale Capital are participating. In addition to capital, the new investors are expected to contribute networks to support further expansion in Europe.

For INLEAP, this involves a market that has gained significant importance due to the increasing prevalence of comparatively inexpensive drone systems. At the same time, the demand for defense technologies is rising not only in the military sector but also, increasingly, in the protection of critical infrastructure.

Laser-based systems promise a different approach than traditional kinetic defense methods: In addition to technical performance, safety, reliability, cost, and integration into existing detection and defense systems will be crucial for widespread adoption.

A spin-off from the Laser Zentrum Hannover

INLEAP Photonics was founded as a spin-off from the Laser Zentrum Hannover. The company now combines its expertise in optics and laser system technology with the growing European market for counter-unmanned aircraft systems.

The 20-million-euro seed round is now primarily intended to enable the next industrial step: moving away from development and initial applications toward larger production volumes and standardized manufacturing. This makes INLEAP part of a growing group of European defense and dual-use startups that are currently raising significant capital to build their own technological and industrial capabilities.