Ground A Raises €9.1M Pre-Seed to Scale Laser-Based Drone Defence System

Ground A, a German defence technology startup developing laser-based counter-drone systems, has raised €9.1 million in pre-seed funding to bring its GA 1000 system to market and accelerate its development.

The round was led by Vsquared Ventures, with Quantum Systems joining as a corporate investor. Other investors include GRIF, Robin Capital, ABACON, Leblon Capital and OVNI Capital. Quantum Systems co-founder Florian Seibel also invested personally, alongside Sven Kruck and Andreas Nauerz from J14 Capital, as well as Marlon Braumann and Stefan Roebel from ARX Robotics.

Founded by Tobias Brune, Daniel Hariri and Roland Ralph Spiegelhalder, Ground A is focused on building more flexible and scalable counter-drone technology for European defence and critical infrastructure.

Building a compact counter-drone system

Ground A's flagship GA 1000 combines drone detection, autonomous targeting and a high-energy laser designed to neutralise small, fast-moving drones.

Unlike larger laser systems being developed for heavier military applications, the GA 1000 has been designed as a compact and mobile platform. The system fits on a standard Euro pallet and can be transported by four people.

Ground A says the system is also designed to integrate with existing NATO command-and-control infrastructure and platforms such as tanks and unmanned ground vehicles.

The company moved from prototype development to testing and validation in just seven months. Its team expanded rapidly from five members in March 2026 to 25 by September.

A rapidly evolving drone defence market

The company is entering a market where the growing availability of inexpensive and increasingly autonomous drones is creating demand for new counter-drone technologies.

Ground A distinguishes its approach from heavier laser systems capable of producing 50 to more than 100 kilowatts of laser power. Companies such as Rheinmetall and MBDA are developing larger systems aimed at different operational requirements.

Other players, including DroneShield, use radio-frequency detection and jamming rather than physically destroying drones with lasers.

Ground A believes there is still room for lighter, software-integrated systems that can offer greater operational flexibility and mobility.

Funding to accelerate commercialisation

Ground A has not yet sold any of its systems commercially. The newly raised €9.1 million will be used to develop additional prototypes, bring the first machines to market and expand the team.

The company is also planning another funding round in 2027 to support manufacturing expansion.

The timing comes as Europe's counter-drone market continues to grow. The market was valued at approximately $9.17 billion in 2026 and is projected to reach $29.70 billion by 2031.

For Ground A, the next challenge is moving from a validated prototype to a scalable defence product capable of responding to an increasingly complex drone threat landscape.