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Helsing

Helsing SE is a Munich-based European defense AI company founded in March 2021 by Torsten Reil, Gundbert Scherf, and Niklas Köhler. Helsing builds AI software and autonomous weapons systems for European and allied militaries — reconnaissance-strike software (Altra), electronic-warfare AI (Cirra), an AI fighter pilot (Centaur), loitering-munition strike drones (HF-1 and HX-2), an autonomous combat aircraft (CA-1 Europa), and underwater autonomy (Lura acoustic processing, SG-1 Fathom long-endurance underwater drones). The company is sales-led and government-restricted; there is no public REST API or developer portal. This profile documents the publicly visible product surfaces and partnerships rather than endpoint shapes. Funding totals roughly €1.37B across four rounds, with a $1.2B Series E at an $18B valuation reportedly being finalized as of May 2026. Daniel Ek's Prima Materia is the largest shareholder. Public partnerships include Saab (Gripen E integration of Centaur, including the 2025 Project Beyond combat trial), Airbus, Rheinmetall, the Bundeswehr, and the Eurofighter Typhoon EK programme.

8 APIs 9 Features
Defense AIEuropean DefenseAutonomyLoitering MunitionsUnderwater AutonomyElectronic WarfareAI Fighter PilotSovereign AI

Helsing publishes 8 APIs on the APIs.io network. Tagged areas include Defense AI, European Defense, Autonomy, Loitering Munitions, and Underwater Autonomy.

Helsing’s developer surface includes developer portal, engineering blog, support, and 2 more developer resources.

APIs

Helsing Altra

Altra is Helsing's reconnaissance-strike software platform. It fuses multi-sensor and multi-drone data feeds to cover wider areas, identify targets, and coordinate strikes. Altr...

Helsing Centaur

Centaur is Helsing's AI fighter pilot. It can function as an autonomous combat agent on board fighter jets, operate independently or as part of a swarm, and integrate with allie...

Helsing Cirra

Cirra is Helsing's electronic-warfare AI for detecting, classifying, and responding to electromagnetic-spectrum threats. It powers Helsing's contribution to programmes such as t...

Helsing Lura

Lura is Helsing's underwater AI. It rapidly processes acoustic data to detect and classify ships and submarines while emitting significantly less noise than conventional sonar.

Helsing HF-1

HF-1 is an AI-enabled loitering-munition strike drone. It uses on-board AI and stored map data to navigate and target without relying on GPS. HF-1 has been used by the Ukrainian...

Helsing HX-2

HX-2 is Helsing's next-generation AI strike drone. Like HF-1 it operates without GPS and runs on-board target recognition. HX-2 is manufactured at Helsing's factory in southern ...

Helsing CA-1 Europa

CA-1 Europa is Helsing's autonomous combat aircraft. It flies Centaur as its AI pilot and is targeted for first flight in 2027.

Helsing SG-1 Fathom

SG-1 Fathom is Helsing's long-endurance underwater drone, capable of operating submerged for up to 90 days and running Lura's acoustic-processing AI on board.

Features

Altra Reconnaissance-Strike Software

Fuses multi-sensor and multi-drone data to identify targets and coordinate strikes across a wider area.

Centaur AI Fighter Pilot

Autonomous combat agent for fighter aircraft, demonstrated in 2025's Project Beyond against a human-piloted Gripen.

Cirra Electronic Warfare AI

AI for detecting, classifying, and responding to electromagnetic-spectrum threats; integrated into the Eurofighter Typhoon EK programme.

Lura Underwater AI

Quiet acoustic processing for detection and classification of ships and submarines.

HF-1 Loitering Munition

GPS-independent AI strike drone fielded in Ukraine.

HX-2 Loitering Munition

Next-generation GPS-independent AI strike drone manufactured in southern Germany.

CA-1 Europa Autonomous Combat Aircraft

Helsing's own UCAV platform flying Centaur, first flight targeted for 2027.

SG-1 Fathom Underwater Drone

Long-endurance underwater drone capable of 90-day submerged operations running Lura on board.

Sovereign European Defense AI

European-headquartered AI defense supplier serving Germany, France, the UK, Estonia, Ukraine, and allied militaries.

Use Cases

Sovereign European Air Combat AI

Provide Centaur AI fighter-pilot capability for European and allied air forces, including Saab Gripen and Eurofighter programmes.

Loitering Munition Strike

Deliver HF-1 and HX-2 GPS-independent strike drones to allied militaries and Ukraine.

Electronic Warfare

Provide Cirra EW AI inside platforms such as the Eurofighter Typhoon EK.

Underwater Surveillance and ASW

Run Lura acoustic processing on SG-1 Fathom and partner platforms for anti-submarine warfare.

Reconnaissance-Strike Coordination

Use Altra to fuse multi-drone and multi-sensor feeds for targeting and strike coordination.

Integrations

Saab

Centaur integrated into the Saab Gripen E; 2025 Project Beyond combat trial.

Eurofighter Typhoon EK

Helsing's AI (including Cirra) integrated into the Eurofighter Typhoon EK electronic-warfare variant.

Airbus

Strategic partnership for European defense aerospace programmes.

Rheinmetall

Industrial partnership inside Germany's defense base.

Bundeswehr

Customer relationship with the German armed forces.

Government of Ukraine

Operational user of HF-1 strike drones in the defence against Russia's invasion.

Resources

🌐
Portal
Portal
📰
Blog
Blog
🔗
Careers
Careers
🔗
LinkedIn
LinkedIn
💬
Support
Support

Sources

apis.yml Raw ↑
aid: helsing
name: Helsing
description: Helsing SE is a Munich-based European defense AI company founded in March 2021 by Torsten Reil, Gundbert Scherf,
  and Niklas Köhler. Helsing builds AI software and autonomous weapons systems for European and allied militaries — reconnaissance-strike
  software (Altra), electronic-warfare AI (Cirra), an AI fighter pilot (Centaur), loitering-munition strike drones (HF-1
  and HX-2), an autonomous combat aircraft (CA-1 Europa), and underwater autonomy (Lura acoustic processing, SG-1 Fathom
  long-endurance underwater drones). The company is sales-led and government-restricted; there is no public REST API or developer
  portal. This profile documents the publicly visible product surfaces and partnerships rather than endpoint shapes. Funding
  totals roughly €1.37B across four rounds, with a $1.2B Series E at an $18B valuation reportedly being finalized as of May
  2026. Daniel Ek's Prima Materia is the largest shareholder. Public partnerships include Saab (Gripen E integration of Centaur,
  including the 2025 Project Beyond combat trial), Airbus, Rheinmetall, the Bundeswehr, and the Eurofighter Typhoon EK programme.
type: Index
image: https://kinlane-productions.s3.amazonaws.com/apis-json/apis-json-logo.jpg
tags:
- Defense AI
- European Defense
- Autonomy
- Loitering Munitions
- Underwater Autonomy
- Electronic Warfare
- AI Fighter Pilot
- Sovereign AI
url: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/helsing/refs/heads/main/apis.yml
created: '2026-05-23'
modified: '2026-05-23'
specificationVersion: '0.19'
apis:
- aid: helsing:altra
  name: Helsing Altra
  description: Altra is Helsing's reconnaissance-strike software platform. It fuses multi-sensor and multi-drone data feeds
    to cover wider areas, identify targets, and coordinate strikes. Altra is the AI layer that runs inside Helsing's drone
    systems (HF-1, HX-2) and that integrates with allied platforms.
  humanURL: https://helsing.ai/altra
  tags:
  - Reconnaissance
  - Strike
  - Multi-Sensor Fusion
  - Software Platform
  properties:
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://helsing.ai/altra
- aid: helsing:centaur
  name: Helsing Centaur
  description: Centaur is Helsing's AI fighter pilot. It can function as an autonomous combat agent on board fighter jets,
    operate independently or as part of a swarm, and integrate with allied airframes. In 2025 Helsing and Saab ran Project
    Beyond — the first publicly known combat trial of AI piloting a fully operational fighter jet, with Centaur flying a
    Gripen E in a beyond-visual-range engagement against a human-operated Gripen D. Centaur also flies on Helsing's own CA-1
    Europa platform.
  humanURL: https://helsing.ai
  tags:
  - AI Fighter Pilot
  - Autonomy
  - Air Combat
  - Saab Gripen
  properties:
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://helsing.ai
- aid: helsing:cirra
  name: Helsing Cirra
  description: Cirra is Helsing's electronic-warfare AI for detecting, classifying, and responding to electromagnetic-spectrum
    threats. It powers Helsing's contribution to programmes such as the Eurofighter Typhoon EK electronic-warfare variant.
  humanURL: https://helsing.ai
  tags:
  - Electronic Warfare
  - EW
  - Signals
  properties:
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://helsing.ai
- aid: helsing:lura
  name: Helsing Lura
  description: Lura is Helsing's underwater AI. It rapidly processes acoustic data to detect and classify ships and submarines
    while emitting significantly less noise than conventional sonar.
  humanURL: https://helsing.ai
  tags:
  - Underwater Autonomy
  - Acoustic Processing
  - Anti-Submarine Warfare
  properties:
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://helsing.ai
- aid: helsing:hf-1
  name: Helsing HF-1
  description: HF-1 is an AI-enabled loitering-munition strike drone. It uses on-board AI and stored map data to navigate
    and target without relying on GPS. HF-1 has been used by the Ukrainian government in its defence against the Russian
    invasion of Ukraine.
  humanURL: https://helsing.ai
  tags:
  - Loitering Munition
  - Strike Drone
  - GPS-Denied
  properties:
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://helsing.ai
- aid: helsing:hx-2
  name: Helsing HX-2
  description: HX-2 is Helsing's next-generation AI strike drone. Like HF-1 it operates without GPS and runs on-board target
    recognition. HX-2 is manufactured at Helsing's factory in southern Germany.
  humanURL: https://helsing.ai/hx-2
  tags:
  - Loitering Munition
  - Strike Drone
  - GPS-Denied
  - Manufacturing
  properties:
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://helsing.ai/hx-2
- aid: helsing:ca-1-europa
  name: Helsing CA-1 Europa
  description: CA-1 Europa is Helsing's autonomous combat aircraft. It flies Centaur as its AI pilot and is targeted for first
    flight in 2027.
  humanURL: https://helsing.ai/europa
  tags:
  - Autonomous Combat Aircraft
  - UCAV
  - CA-1 Europa
  properties:
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://helsing.ai/europa
- aid: helsing:sg-1-fathom
  name: Helsing SG-1 Fathom
  description: SG-1 Fathom is Helsing's long-endurance underwater drone, capable of operating submerged for up to 90 days
    and running Lura's acoustic-processing AI on board.
  humanURL: https://helsing.ai
  tags:
  - Underwater Drone
  - Long Endurance
  - Anti-Submarine Warfare
  properties:
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://helsing.ai
common:
- type: Portal
  url: https://helsing.ai
- type: Blog
  url: https://helsing.ai/newsroom
- type: Careers
  url: https://helsing.ai/careers
- type: LinkedIn
  url: https://www.linkedin.com/company/helsing-ai
- type: Support
  url: https://helsing.ai
- type: Features
  data:
  - name: Altra Reconnaissance-Strike Software
    description: Fuses multi-sensor and multi-drone data to identify targets and coordinate strikes across a wider area.
  - name: Centaur AI Fighter Pilot
    description: Autonomous combat agent for fighter aircraft, demonstrated in 2025's Project Beyond against a human-piloted
      Gripen.
  - name: Cirra Electronic Warfare AI
    description: AI for detecting, classifying, and responding to electromagnetic-spectrum threats; integrated into the Eurofighter
      Typhoon EK programme.
  - name: Lura Underwater AI
    description: Quiet acoustic processing for detection and classification of ships and submarines.
  - name: HF-1 Loitering Munition
    description: GPS-independent AI strike drone fielded in Ukraine.
  - name: HX-2 Loitering Munition
    description: Next-generation GPS-independent AI strike drone manufactured in southern Germany.
  - name: CA-1 Europa Autonomous Combat Aircraft
    description: Helsing's own UCAV platform flying Centaur, first flight targeted for 2027.
  - name: SG-1 Fathom Underwater Drone
    description: Long-endurance underwater drone capable of 90-day submerged operations running Lura on board.
  - name: Sovereign European Defense AI
    description: European-headquartered AI defense supplier serving Germany, France, the UK, Estonia, Ukraine, and allied
      militaries.
- type: UseCases
  data:
  - name: Sovereign European Air Combat AI
    description: Provide Centaur AI fighter-pilot capability for European and allied air forces, including Saab Gripen and
      Eurofighter programmes.
  - name: Loitering Munition Strike
    description: Deliver HF-1 and HX-2 GPS-independent strike drones to allied militaries and Ukraine.
  - name: Electronic Warfare
    description: Provide Cirra EW AI inside platforms such as the Eurofighter Typhoon EK.
  - name: Underwater Surveillance and ASW
    description: Run Lura acoustic processing on SG-1 Fathom and partner platforms for anti-submarine warfare.
  - name: Reconnaissance-Strike Coordination
    description: Use Altra to fuse multi-drone and multi-sensor feeds for targeting and strike coordination.
- type: Integrations
  data:
  - name: Saab
    description: Centaur integrated into the Saab Gripen E; 2025 Project Beyond combat trial.
  - name: Eurofighter Typhoon EK
    description: Helsing's AI (including Cirra) integrated into the Eurofighter Typhoon EK electronic-warfare variant.
  - name: Airbus
    description: Strategic partnership for European defense aerospace programmes.
  - name: Rheinmetall
    description: Industrial partnership inside Germany's defense base.
  - name: Bundeswehr
    description: Customer relationship with the German armed forces.
  - name: Government of Ukraine
    description: Operational user of HF-1 strike drones in the defence against Russia's invasion.
- type: Investors
  data:
  - name: Prima Materia (Daniel Ek)
    description: Largest shareholder, ~17% stake.
  - name: Dragoneer Investment Group
    description: Reported lead investor in the May 2026 $1.2B Series E at an $18B valuation.
- type: Notes
  data:
  - name: No Public API
    description: Helsing is sales-led and government-restricted. There is no public REST API, developer portal, OpenAPI spec,
      or SDK; access is via direct government and prime-contractor relationships.
  - name: Controversy
    description: An April 2025 Bloomberg report surfaced allegations from former employees and military experts regarding
      drone pricing and software reliability.
maintainers:
- FN: Kin Lane
  url: http://apievangelist.com
  email: [email protected]