European sovereignty in defence has a role in geopolitics. "The President of the Republic's announcements will facilitate the creation of new defence capabilities, which are essential for European countries to gain an advantage in future conflicts," says Loïc Mougeolle, CEO of Comand AI, which has developed a software platform designed to optimise military operations. On Wednesday, March 3rd, Emmanuel Macron called for "new budgetary choices" to finance "future Defence investments." The following day, the 27 leaders of the European Union met in Brussels for an extraordinary summit to define a new defence strategy in response to the Russian threat, while Donald Trump questioned the United States' commitment to NATO. They agreed on a massive plan to invest in European defence.
In this context of Europe's "rearmament," France can rely on some standout players in the Defence sector. Maddyness has identified four of them.
Comand AI
Supported by the Ministry of Defence, Comand AI has developed two products. The first aims to accelerate Defence operation planning. The second analyses past operations "to draw lessons to improve the efficiency of future missions," explains Loïc Mougeolle, its CEO. The company, founded in 2023, already has 20 employees and counts France and Germany among its clients. "Our focus is command operations. Tomorrow's battlefields will be robotic; there will still be human units, but increasingly more robots. Our goal is to orchestrate all these units to reduce the time spent planning an operation and ensure actions are properly carried out," says the CEO, who developed an AI-powered software platform. The startup is targeting major markets such as the United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, Poland, and England. "We will soon be participating in Ukrainian operations," notes Loïc Mougeolle, who believes the President's announcements "have a huge impact." "This demonstrates to investors the potential of the European market, which is at least as significant as the American market," he says, predicting "the emergence of new major players in Europe thanks to these announcements." "This will accelerate our development in France and internationally," he adds.
Helsing
This startup, based in Germany, France, and the UK, has designed software integrated into an attack drone that resists Russian army electromagnetic jamming while continuing to detect targets. It has already sold 4,000 units to Ukraine. In February, Helsing partnered with Mistral AI, the French unicorn specialising in generative artificial intelligence, to develop AI systems for European defence. According to Antoine Bordes, Vice President of AI at Helsing, "Robotics and AI working in complementarity with humans will transform the conduct of military operations by optimising efficiency, reducing risks, and accelerating decision-making in contested environments." Helsing aims "to play a leading role in designing tomorrow's defence systems," highlights Gundbert Scherf, its co-founder. He also believes that "Europe must assert its role as a major geopolitical player. Its leadership in artificial intelligence is at the heart of its power, security, and future prosperity."
Delair
Founded in 2011, Delair specialises in drone production and enables its clients to digitise and transform their activities through aerial intelligence. The startup offers a turnkey data analysis software platform based on artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques. Initially focused on the energy, transport, construction, and agriculture sectors, the company has shifted its focus in recent years to the Defence market, which now accounts for 80% of its revenue. It recently acquired Squadrone System, a drone designer that has partnered with major players such as Thales and Safran Electronics & Defence. Delair has also delivered 150 observation drones to the French Army and a hundred remote-controlled munitions to Ukraine between 2023 and 2024.
Alta Ares
This French startup provides its clients with video analysis and processing solutions using AI deployed on drones or cameras that detect specific elements such as tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, or trucks. This allows it to conduct detection, reconnaissance, and target identification missions in real-time without any internet connection. The company has also developed a dedicated Defence platform to manage the video data lifecycle obtained during operations and train AI models for the Defence sector and industrial clients.
