Stockholm-based defence technology startup Nordic Air Defence (NAD) has raised an additional $3 million in a pre-seed funding round led by VC firm Inflection, bringing the total raised to $4.4 million. The company develops drone defence systems aimed at reducing European reliance on foreign suppliers. The funding will support the development and production of its Kreuger 100 drone interceptor platform, which uses software to reduce hardware costs and enable larger-scale deployment. NAD is also expanding its engineering team with hires from companies including Anduril, FLIR, and Einride, and has updated its board to focus on growth and scaling operations. The company plans to continue developing defence solutions for various environments and markets.
Nordic Air Defence develops technology solutions for drone detection and interception. The company focuses on creating hardware and software systems intended for both civilian and military applications, aiming to enhance airspace security. Its technology emphasizes cost efficiency and scalability to address evolving aerial threats. Nordic Air Defence’s team includes professionals with backgrounds in electronics, mechanical design, embedded systems, software engineering, and artificial intelligence.
Nordic Air Defence CEO Karl Rosander: “What were once imagined as future conflicts are happening right now. There can be no complacency: the world is rapidly changing and Europe must create new industrial might and deliver defensive hardware at-scale. Inflection recognises the urgency of the mission at hand and has invested in Nordic Air Defence; their investment brings us closer to bringing the Kreuger 100, our first product, to market and ultimately in the field. The race is on to deploy and have Nordic Air Defence providing protective cover. We must move fast in order to have an impact and save lives.”
Nicholas Högasten has joined NAD as Head of Product. Nicholas has extensive defense tech experience, holding numerous VP level roles in R&D and leading major development projects in imaging and sensing during his 20+ years at Teledyne FLIR (formerly FLIR Systems). Based in the US (California) for the last 18 years, Nicholas is relocating to Stockholm this summer.
Dominic Surano will join NAD as the Director of Special Projects. With over 15 years of experience in unmanned aerial systems (UAS), Dominic comes from Anduril Industries where he led the development of Anvil and spearheaded deployment operations support for the Air and Ground Defence (AG&D) and Tactical Reconnaissance and Strike (TRS) business lines. Previously, Dominic led systems architecture at Insitu and pioneered structural dynamics and aeroelastics for the Aircraft Structural Integrity (AIG) group at General Atomics Aeronautical Systems. Dominic will be based in Stockholm
Bianca Otake will also join NAD as Navigation Engineer. KTH-educated, Stockholm-based Bianca joins from Einride, where she has spent the past five years working on autonomous driving programmes.
Effective immediately, the company board comprises the following members: Karl Rosander (NAD co-founder), Gustav Wiberg (NAD co-founder, also co-founder and chair of Katla Aero), Dr Jonas Dromberg (Revalence Ventures founder and NAD investor), and Hampus Särnbratt (NAD investor, also of EQT Ventures). Inflection will join as board observers.
Inflection Partner Jonatan Luther-Bergquist: “Nordic Air Defence has built a winning team, one we feel has the entrepreneurial mentality and skills to fundamentally transform the defence tech industry. Our investment underpins our commitment to technologies that empower sovereign computation and resilience. We are not only investing in the superb team at NAD, but also in Europe: for too long defence tech was stale and we cannot let the continent fall behind. Europe has storied engineering and defence heritage. Nordic Air Defence has captured its very essence and we are excited to support them as they get closer to launching the Kreuger 100.”
Leaving the board of Nordic Air Defence are Johan Ahlberg, Jan Gurander, Jörgen Bladh, and Erik Fredlund.
Rosander adds: “I would like to thank Johan, Jan, Jörgen, and Erik for their invaluable counsel and support in the earliest days of Nordic Air Defence. Their collective advice and experience enabled us to set a clear strategy as well as develop the business around our technology. We have moved to a streamlined board so the company can move at even greater speed, seize all opportunities that come our way, and enter a period of hypergrowth. Jonas and Hampus each have unique experience in fundraising and scaling strategy – two crucial elements of NAD Phase Two. Finally, I would like to introduce Nicholas Högasten, Dominic Surano, and Bianca Otake. All three joining Nordic Air Defence is testament to our ethos and the vital work we have ahead of us. Our new colleagues will play a key role as we produce a remarkable number of smarter and more cost effective systems fit for the new demands to protect Europe. We simply must attract the best possible people in order to win and each of them are a beacon of knowledge and experience. We’re overjoyed they have joined.”
NAD emerged from stealth in September 2024 when it unveiled its first product: the Kreuger 100 dual-use (civil and military) drone interceptor platform. By cutting much of the hardware previously required by drone interceptors, and replacing it with software, the Kreuger 100 is ten times cheaper to produce per unit than conventional anti-drone technology, such as interceptors or missiles. This allows for mass manufacturing, and results in customers being able to scale their arsenals of interceptors to meet threats. It is battery-powered and extremely lightweight for optimum portability.
The nature of drone conflict is rapidly evolving, and traditional jammers and kinetic technology, as well as being expensive to produce, are becoming obsolete against modern threats. Nordic Air Defence is committed to continuing its development of homegrown drone defence solutions, eventually diversifying into land, sea and subsea defence as well as expansion into more global markets.
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Read the orginal article: https://arcticstartup.com/nordic-air-defence-nad-raises-3m-pre-seed/
