Ukrainian-Lithuanian Valkyrie Dynamics has raised €1 million in a pre-seed round. The startup is developing the Heimdall radar seeker, which enables interceptor drones to track targets in fog, rain, and other conditions when visual guidance systems are less effective.
The investment round was led by Paris-based venture studio Hexa. Defense-tech business angels also participated in the financing.
The company will use the funds to produce the first version of the product, develop the next generation of the device, and expand its team.
How the Heimdall radar seeker works
Valkyrie Dynamics is developing the Heimdall terminal guidance radar seeker for FPV drones and autonomous interceptors. Typically, operators of such drones use optical or thermal cameras to find a target and guide an interceptor onto it. However, fog, rain, snow, and dense cloud cover can prevent cameras from recognizing objects.
Heimdall instead uses radio waves. The device is mounted in the front of the drone, and during the final interception stage it transmits a radar image of the target to the operator instead of regular video.
According to the developers, this allows guidance to continue at a distance of roughly 100–500 meters from the target, even when it is poorly visible through a camera. The product weighs about 100 grams. Valkyrie Dynamics expects that in serial production its cost will be less than €300 per unit.
Heimdall can be used both for manual guidance of FPV drones and together with autonomous control modules. At the same time, the decision to strike the target remains with the operator or the interceptor’s control system.
Valkyrie Dynamics founder and CEO Marcin Kowalewski explains that the company wants to make air defense more accessible through low-cost interceptors with onboard radars.
“We aim to replace $3 million missiles with low-cost interceptor drones guided by more affordable radars,” he said.
In particular, Valkyrie Dynamics recently conducted flight tests together with Ukrainian-Estonian Korven Systems, which works on autonomous systems for interceptor drones.
Going forward, the company plans to create new versions of the device with increased target detection range and a wider field of view. Valkyrie Dynamics also wants to open technical integration centers in Europe at the end of 2026 to cooperate with NATO procurement programs.