Daniel Eyk from Spotify only bets on Helsing, Darf in Europe, my love

When Daniel Ec is not busy running Spotify or its new construction, which is moved by artificial intelligence Health Technology CorporationIt seems to make huge bets on the future of the European war.

The billionaire, who lives mainly in Stockholm, has led an investment of 600 million euros in Helsing, a Munich defense technology company based in Munich now. 12 billion eurosAccording to the Financial Times. The deal makes it one of the most valuable companies in Europe; It also highlights the stampede in Europe to build its own military muscles, as the world grows chaotic and the United States moves inward.

Numbers help tell the story. Hilding raised 450 million dollars Just shy a year ago. Now, it has returned with this largest round of EK’s investment company. It is part of a broader defensive boom that is witnessing money overwhelmed by companies like the American giant Andrill, who just raised 2.5 billion dollars Leaded by Founders Fund, European drone makers, quantum systems and tekever. (In recent weeks, they announced 160 million euros and 70 million eurosRespectively, in the rounds that you put in the so -called unicorn lands.)

Techcrunch communicated with Helsing for more details on how to plan to use new financing.

As for what Helsing is doing exactly, WIRED said last year to think about it as turning modern war into something more like Video gameWith the exception of the very real consequences.

The company’s main product takes huge quantities of data from military sensors, radars and arms systems, then it uses artificial intelligence to create intuitive perceptions in the actual time of what is happening in the battlefield. Instead of the soldiers take the decisions of life or death based on the phone calls and the maps drawn by the hand, everyone sees the same information, whether from a trench of lines or miles away from the command center.

But what started as an artificial intelligence software has grown more ambitious. Helsing is now building drones and its own planes, and she said it is working on a fleet of drone for IRMPROVE.

Timing is not a coincidence. As an American investor Eric Salsinger Teccrunch said In the spring of this year, “European governments have waited for a very long time to rethink the meaning of the arrangement of their security.” The call to wake up with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine came, which made it clear that Europe cannot depend on American protection alone. The American elections late last year for President Donald Trump – who cares much more The progress of American interests – Since then, I put a more accurate point on things.

European leaders are now talking about great spending on defense while achieving strategic independence, which means their ability to deal with their security. Greek Prime Minister Kiriacos Mitsotakis recently summarized the movement in A. Separate interview with techcrunch: “We will spend a lot of money on defense like Europe. The defense scene is changing, which is no longer about planes, and tanks – this will be everything more digital and led by Amnesty International.”

Two years ago, this perception was the motive for NATO innovation boxThe world’s first multi -use investment fund is supported by 24 NATO allies. But the capital group is just one of several signs that Europe has grown seriously in building its ecosystem for defense technology rather than relying on the United States for Protection.

Ek, which was first invested in Helsing Again in 2021Before the outbreak of the Ukraine war, he may have seen for a while where something is heading. As said in a press statement on Monday’s financing: “As Europe rapidly advances its defensive capabilities in response to advanced geopolitical challenges, there is an urgent need for investments in advanced technologies that guarantee its strategic independence.”

Among the other investors in the new Helsing tour are the projects supported earlier, Lightspeed Ventures, Access, Bitral, General Catalyst, Saab, and BDT & MSD Partners. The company has now collected 1.37 billion euros completely.