Helsing Unveils AI Targeting Software in Berlin as Palantir Rival

Helsing will present new AI-based military targeting software in Berlin on Wednesday, Nov. 11, positioning it as a European alternative to Palantir's Maven Smart System, Reuters reported on Nov. 10, citing the company's invitation.

The Munich-based defense AI firm gave no product name, pricing or customer list. But its framing was pointed. The invitation said it was "crucial that we be able to conduct precise reconnaissance" and act "with autonomy and without dependencies: from Europe and for Europe."

That language targets a growing anxiety in European capitals.

Why does Europe want out of Palantir's orbit?

Palantir's Maven Smart System is the best-known military AI targeting platform, fielded by the U.S., NATO commands and several NATO members. Palantir says customers keep full operational control and its software has no "kill switch."

European lawmakers disagree, or at least worry. Reuters reported that they point to June's restriction on non-U.S. residents' access to Anthropic's most advanced AI models as proof that Washington can flip a switch on essential technologies whenever it chooses. One restriction on one model. That was enough to renew the argument.

Is Germany the first buyer?

Berlin looks like the most obvious customer. The German military has said it will not buy Maven for now, and it plans to deploy its own AI-powered targeting system from 2027, with full implementation expected in 2028.

Helsing already has deep Bundeswehr ties. In June, Politico reported that Germany was lining up a €580 million contract for Helsing to build the core software and test architecture of the Combat Fighter System Nucleus — the backbone meant to link future German fighters, drones and sensors. The award was not finalized at the time.

A Wednesday demo in Berlin, a skeptical customer across the table, an existing relationship worth €580 million. The timing writes itself.

Who is Helsing?

Founded in 2021 as a software company, Helsing has since pushed into hardware. Its portfolio now includes:

• HX-2 strike drones, supplied to Ukraine
• CA-1 Europa, an uncrewed combat aircraft
• Altra, reconnaissance-strike software that fuses data from multiple sensors

The targeting software Helsing unveils Wednesday would compete directly with Maven in the fastest-growing slice of defense procurement.

Money has followed. In July, Helsing raised $1.8 billion in a Series E at an $18 billion valuation — Europe's largest defense-tech funding round to date, and a sharp step up from its €12 billion valuation a year earlier.

Not everything has gone smoothly. Bloomberg reported in April 2025 on allegations from former employees and investors that Helsing sold overpriced drones and delivered unreliable software. The company now sells to governments pitching exactly those categories of product.

What happens Wednesday?

The Berlin event gives Helsing a stage to convert Europe's dependency anxiety into contracts. Reuters did not name the product, its price, or any confirmed buyers — so the real test will be whether Germany's 2027-2028 timeline for its own AI targeting system bends toward a Munich supplier before anyone in Brussels signs anything.