Warsaw-based defence tech startup Orbotix has secured €6.5 million in a strategic funding round to accelerate the development of its AI-powered autonomous drone systems. The investment was led by BVVC Fund, with participation from Gustav Söhne Verwaltung GmbH & Co. KG and Leryon Global Holdings.
Founded in 2023 by Bogdan Ochiana from Romania and Sebastian Straube from Poland, Orbotix develops AI-driven aerial defence technologies designed for Europe’s specific security needs and terrain. The company operates with headquarters in Poland and additional hubs in Romania, Spain, and Ukraine.
“This investment is more than just capital — it’s a signal that the EU is ready to elevate defence to its full potential,” said Bogdan Ochiana, Co-founder and CEO. “Our generation will be measured by how we rise to the challenge now, not tomorrow, and we are proud to be among the innovators safeguarding the peace and prosperity our forefathers fought to achieve”.
The new funding will be used to expand AI capabilities, with a particular focus on drone swarming technology, and to increase micromanufacturing capacity across the European Union. Orbotix aims to strengthen Europe’s technological and operational independence in defence, with modular and scalable systems tailored for sovereign use.
According to Sebastian Straube, Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer, “This marks not only a milestone for Orbotix, but also underscores the strategic importance of building such capabilities within Europe, with the emergence of a company like ours on the Eastern Flank ensuring that the region most exposed to modern threats leads in developing the technologies that will safeguard Europe’s future”.
Orbotix’s current product line includes the ATA System, an autonomous target acquisition platform for real-time threat detection and neutralisation, and the Wasper-1, a drone swarm system designed to break through enemy defences at significantly lower costs than traditional systems.
Joe Musselman, Founder and Managing Partner of Bravo Victor Venture Capital, highlighted the strategic role of the company, stating: “Swarm autonomy will decide outcomes on tomorrow’s battlefields. Orbotix is building it now, in Europe, at scale, and under allied control. Their distributed production model and operator-first design deliver the sovereign capacity NATO needs to prevail in a contested world. At BVVC, we back founders who compress timelines and move capability from prototype to throughput at a wartime pace. Orbotix embodies that ethos. We are proud to back companies that move at a no-fail pace and understand that the United States and our allies must grow stronger together and win.”
The startup was established in response to Europe’s evolving security challenges, which have accelerated since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Orbotix aligns its technology with EU regulations, including the EU AI Act, and develops its systems for responsible deployment by defence forces, law enforcement, and critical infrastructure operators.
Read the orginal article: https://www.eu-startups.com/2025/10/warsaw-based-orbotix-raises-e6-5-million-to-advance-autonomous-defence-systems-in-europe/
