STARK (Stark Defence / SKD SE)
Berlin-based STARK Defence builds VTOL loitering munitions (Virtus) and AI-driven swarm C2 software (Minerva) for NATO ground and special-operations forces.
Background
STARK Defence (legal entity SKD SE) was founded in Berlin in 2024 by Florian Seibel and Johannes Schaback, with Uwe Horstmann — a General Partner at Project A — named CEO as of October 2025.
The company stood up production facilities in Munich and Swindon, UK, and has since added capacity in Ukraine, giving it a four-site manufacturing network.
Its flagship system is Virtus, a VTOL one-way-attack drone designed for precision loitering-munition strikes. Alongside Virtus, STARK develops Minerva, an AI-enabled swarm command-and-control layer that coordinates multi-drone recce-strike packages.
Industrial partners include TDW for live-warhead integration, INLEAP Photonics for laser-based counter-UAS, and Six Robotics for reconnaissance-strike capability.
STARK sells directly to NATO-member ministries of defence and partner nations, with Bundeswehr as its anchor customer. Headcount reached approximately 450 across four European locations by early 2026, up from roughly 300 in 2025.
Marcus Schuler
Marcus Schuler edits BattlePolicy, a daily defense-technology brief connecting the companies and capabilities behind modern war to the contest among Europe, the US, Russia, and China.