INLEAP Photonics has raised €20M to scale laser-based counter-drone systems, a week after a drone attack on Leipzig/Halle Airport underscored the threat to civilian infrastructure.
The seed round was led by UVC Partners with participation from HTGF, Balnord, Sentries and Scale Capital. The Hannover-based company, a 2023 spin-off from Laser Zentrum Hannover, produces ultrafast, precise laser beam steering systems for two markets: industrial laser manufacturing and drone defense.
CEO and founder Marius Lammers said the technology has reached the market with strong order intake, and the capital will go into manufacturing, quality assurance, sales and service. The company claims its systems are eye-safe for civilian sites while robust enough for defense installations.
The funding continues a wave of European investment into counter-drone and defense-autonomy tech, from Estonia’s Frankenburg Technologies to Germany’s Quantum Systems, which raised a €1B Series D in July. Together, comparable 2026 rounds total roughly €1.1B.
“Drone defence is no longer a purely military issue,” the company argues. “Airports, energy facilities and data centres require the same level of protection as defence installations.” The Leipzig attack gives that argument fresh urgency.
