Alpine Eagle raises €10.25 million led by IQ Capital to develop AI-powered counter-drone defence system

• Alpine Eagle is building the software layer to power defence drones, amidst the growing threat of autonomous warfare
• The company’s hardware-agnostic platform can work with off-the-shelf and bespoke UAVs to detect and neutralise offensive drones
• Customers already include the German military (Bundeswehr) and other government agencies

Munich, 6^th March 2025: Alpine Eagle – a pioneering European defence tech startup – is announcing it has raised €10.25 million in seed funding led by IQ Capital. HTGF, Expeditions Fund and Sentris Capital also participated in the round, along with previous investors General Catalyst and HCVC, which led Alpine Eagle’s pre-seed. The funding will be used to develop its flagship Sentinel product, scale its commercial teams and lay the groundwork for international expansion to defend against the growing threat of autonomous warfare.

Founded in 2023 by CEO Jan-Hendrik Boelens (former Airbus chief engineer, Volocopter CTO, Quantum Systems CTO) and Director Timo Breuer (former Microsoft Research, Fraunhofer Gesellschaft scientist), Alpine Eagle has developed the world’s first air-to-air counter-drone system. Its software uses cutting-edge technologies, including machine learning, advanced sensors and computer vision, to detect, classify and neutralise hostile drones, including small drones and loitering munitions. 

Addressing the growing drone threat

Military drone use has surged in recent years against a resurgence of global conflicts, including the Ukraine war. The market is on track to more than double from $21.8 billion in 2024 to $56.69 billion by 2033, driven by the massive shift in the operation of war from the battlefield to autonomous, drone-based warfare. Recent events, such as suspected Russian drone sightings over a key German military base and drone incidents near US Air Force bases in the UK, have also underscored the need for countermeasures for non-military use such as protecting critical national infrastructure and global supply chains.

Alpine Eagle’s Sentinel-OS Counter-UAS software stack offers a unique, agnostic platform that integrates seamlessly with both off-the-shelf and bespoke hardware, allowing for rapid deployment and customisation to specific needs. The full-stack platform provides early warning capabilities and is designed for operation in contested environments. Its superior detection and classification, alongside defensive swarm capabilities, are enabled through a number of active and passive sensors that can be fully scaled to the operator’s needs and different threat scenarios. Alpine Eagle is also developing the ability to intercept drones at a stand-off distance as part of its mission to build defences against the rise of low-cost drones to protect human lives not only in war but in peace time as well.

Supercharged growth

Since launching, Alpine Eagle has brought on customers, including the German military (Bundeswehr) and achieved 7-digit revenues in the first 12 months of operation. The new funding will enable hiring key talent, with the team set to increase to over 40 people across product, engineering, business development and sales. The funding will also expand the company’s product portfolio and support Alpine Eagle’s expansion outside Germany.

Jan-Hendrik Boelens, co-founder and CEO of Alpine Eagle, said: “It took around 50 years to get from the biplanes used in WW1 to modern fighter jets. Yet, with the development of technology and low-cost hardware, it will take less than five years before we see fully automated drone-on-drone engagements. With the rapid evolution of drone warfare, we see an enormous demand for systems to provide affordable and scalable defensive capabilities. In the rapidly changing geopolitical environment, Europe needs innovation in defence more than ever. We are the European defence tech startup that will provide the technological means to ensure the security and stability of our continent, and I’m delighted that our new and previous investors share that vision with us.”

Archie Muirhead, Partner at IQ Capital, said: “Jan-Hendrik and Timo are rare founders with a combination of research excellence, engineering pragmatism, and absolute customer focus evident in the products they build. What the Alpine Eagle team has managed to deliver in under 18 months is extraordinary and with this additional capital we look forward to supporting them to provide further resilience capacity to allied nations and organisations threatened by unmanned systems.”

Contact: Antonella Scimemi / antonella@burlington.cc

About Alpine Eagle
Founded in 2023, Alpine Eagle is a team of machine learning practitioners and aeronautical engineers building the world’s first airborne counter-drone system. The company’s Sentinel Counter-UAS System detects and classifies small drones. Its Sentinel-OS software platform can be integrated into various hardware to protect military and national assets and infrastructure. Backed by leading investors including IQ Capital, General Catalyst and HCVC, Alpine Eagle has raised over €10M in funding. https://alpineeagle.com/

About IQ Capital
IQ Capital is an early-stage venture capital firm dedicated to backing Europe’s most ambitious deep tech entrepreneurs. Since 2005, they have partnered with more than 100 founding teams on their path to turning breakthrough technologies into long-lasting businesses, supported by an experienced team of investors, advisors and an extensive global network.

About HTGF – High-Tech Gründerfonds 
HTGF is one of the leading and most active early-stage investors in Germany and Europe, financing start-ups in the fields of Deep Tech, Industrial Tech, Climate Tech, Digital Tech, Life Sciences and Chemistry. With its experienced investment team, HTGF supports start-ups in all phases of their development into international market leaders. HTGF invests in pre-seed and seed phases and can participate significantly in later-stage financing rounds. Across its funds, HTGF has over 2 billion euros under management. Since its inception in 2005, HTGF has financed more than 770 start-ups and achieved almost 200 successful exits.  
Fund investors in the public-private partnership include the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, KfW Capital as well as 45 companies and family offices.  
For more information, please visit HTGF.de or follow us on LinkedIn.   

Media contact 
High-Tech Gründerfonds Management GmbH 
Tobias Jacob, Senior Marketing & Communications Manager  
T.: +49 228 – 82300 – 121
t.jacob@htgf.de