Inleap Photonics gets €20M for laser drone defense

Inleap Photonics, a 2023 spin-off from the Laser Zentrum Hannover (LZH) applications development center in Germany, says it has raised €20 million in seed finance to help scale its eye-safe laser drone defense system.

The startup’s key development is a high-precision, ultrafast beam-steering system known as “Fastlight”, which is said to be capable of 2500 times faster operation than conventional systems - a critical attribute for protecting assets from swarms of unmanned threats.

Coinciding with accusations from the German government, NATO, and the European Commission that Russia was behind multiple recent drone attacks on Leipzig airport, the funding has been provided by Munich-based lead investor UVC Partners, alongside HTGF, Poland’s Balnord, Estonian venture outfit Sentris Capital, and Denmark-headquartered Scale Capital.

Sovereign solution

Inleap believes that it can address the need for drone defense with an efficient and safe laser-based solution, and the startup is already working with partners including the German Federal Ministry of Defence (BMVg) and the Bundeswehr Cyber Innovation Hub.

Another recently announced strategic partnership with Stark Defence is said to further underline the growing demand for sovereign, operationally proven counter-drone systems.

With Inleap set to use the seed capital to expand its production and testing capacity and continue growing its team, CEO and co-founder Marius Lammers commented:

“Our technology has reached the market and we are seeing strong order intake. We are now investing in manufacturing, quality assurance, sales, and service to meet demand and deliver our systems at greater scale.

“We will establish Inleap Photonics as a leading European provider of laser effectors.”

Amanda Birkenholz from UVC Partners added: “Drone defense is no longer a purely military issue. Airports, energy facilities, and data centers require the same level of protection as defense installations.

“Inleap Photonics is the only team whose technology meets the requirements of both environments: eye-safe for civilian use and robust enough for deployment in conflict zones. For us, this dual-use capability is the key lever for scaling.”

Eye-safe differentiation

Inleap’s CTO and co-founder Felix Wellmann, who like Lammers spent several years as a researcher at LZH before starting the company, pointed out that the move into series production demanded more than just adding capacity.

“Every unit must be manufactured, tested, and accepted under the same defined conditions,” he said. “This is why we are investing in standardized assembly and testing processes, rigorous quality assurance and reliable supply chains.”

Specific areas identified for investment include establishing and standardizing manufacturing and testing processes for the firm’s “Fastlight Held” and “Fastlight Shield” platforms, as well as further development of the core technology and its eye-safe operating principle - of particular concern for potential urban deployments.

Another priority is sales and service, where Inleap plans to expand customer support and its market presence in Germany and across Europe. “Further locations are planned in Germany and other European countries to intensify co-operation with public-sector customers and security-relevant organizations [like] the Bundeswehr, and to reach prospective customers more quickly,” states the firm.