Stark raised €500 million, surpassing the approximately €300 million it was seeking, from Sequoia, Founders Fund, and the NATO Innovation Fund, among others, valuing the company at above €3.5 billion.
The Berlin startup’s Virtus drones failed to hit a single target across four attempts during live-fire trials with British and German forces in November 2025, yet Germany approved a €269 million Bundeswehr contract regardless.
More than 80% of the new capital goes toward manufacturing capacity, with Stark contracted to equip an entire German brigade in Lithuania by the end of 2026.
Stark, the Berlin-based maker of autonomous strike drones, has closed a €500 million funding round, around €200 million more than it was seeking, at a valuation above €3.5 billion, roughly triple the €1 billion mark it crossed in February 2026.
Sequoia Capital, Founders Fund, the NATO Innovation Fund, Project A, Air Street Capital, 201 Ventures, and Döpfner Capital all participated, according to the Financial Times.
