Drone Detection Startup Gallium Defense Raises €7.1M ($7.7M) Funding to Build the ‘Dacia of Radar’

Gallium Defense, the Paris-based defense technology startup building affordable drone-detection radar, has emerged from stealth with €7.1 million ($7.7 million) in seed funding led by Keen Venture Partners and 360 Capital, with participation from Omnes Capital and Polytechnique Ventures . The company did not disclose its valuation.

The funding comes as Gallium prepares to industrialize production of its first radar, the GDS-10, train its AI models on real-world data, and run monthly field demonstrations for both civil and military operators. Orders are expected to open in Q1 2027, with first deliveries targeted for June 2027 .

Gallium Defense Funding Overview By CREDX Media

Startup Name	Gallium Defense
Founders	Eric Fournier (CEO), Florian Lemoine (CTO), Robin Mandel (COO)
Founded	April 2026
HQ	Paris, France
Round	Seed Funding
Amount Raised	€7.1M ($7.7M)
Valuation	Not disclosed
Category	Defense Tech, Drone Detection, Radar Systems
Lead Investors	Keen Venture Partners, 360 Capital
Key Investors	Omnes Capital, Polytechnique Ventures
Total Funding Raised	€7.1M
Employees	15 (targeting 30-50 by 2027)
Key Product	GDS-10 (X-band AESA radar)
Target Price	~€500,000 per unit

💡 Use of Funds

• Production: Funding the first batch of GDS-10 radars for delivery in 2027 .
• AI Model Training: Collecting field data to train the radar’s machine learning algorithms .
• Team Growth: Expanding from 15 to 30-50 employees by 2027, depending on sales .
• Demonstrations: Running monthly field demos for civil and military customers .

Startup Overview: Gallium Defense

What Gallium Defense Is Building in Simple Words

Gallium Defense has built a low-cost, high-performance drone detection radar designed to be deployed at scale—not one unit at a time. The company’s GDS-10 radar uses commercial off-the-shelf components originally developed for 5G telecommunications, combined with NVIDIA computing hardware, to detect small drones at a fraction of the cost of traditional military radar .

• GDS-10 Radar: An X-band AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) radar with a software-defined, AI-native architecture .
• Detection Range: Class 1 drones and FPV drones at up to 10 kilometers .
• Coverage: 360-degree azimuth, 90-degree elevation, no blind spots .
• Cost Advantage: Antenna unit costs reduced by more than tenfold by using 5G gallium-based components instead of bespoke military parts .
• Two Variants: One for critical infrastructure operators (airports, energy sites, ports), one for armed forces (GDS-10-M) .

Why Gallium Defense Matters

• The cost gap is the problem: More than 80% of critical infrastructure sites and military assets remain exposed to drone threats because affordable, field-ready radars don’t exist at scale . Gallium’s answer to operators: “How do you meet 80% of the need at 20% of the price?” .
• Built for mass deployment: COO Robin Mandel: “Our radars are designed to be manufactured and deployed by the hundreds, not one at a time” .
• Civilian and military demand: The GDS-10 targets airports, ports, and energy sites, while the military variant addresses armed forces needs. Munich Airport halted flights twice in October 2025 due to drone sightings, highlighting the urgency .
• Proven in field tests: Gallium has two operational prototypes and has conducted open-air field trials, detecting Class 1 drones at 10km under controlled conditions .

Founder Background: The BCG and NATO Veterans Building Defense Tech

Eric Fournier(CEO) spent 17 years advising defense and aerospace leaders at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) before founding Gallium in April 2026. His framing of the opportunity: “As drones proliferate, traditional radars are reaching their operational and economic limits. At Gallium Defense, we started from a blank sheet with a simple question, asked by operators in the field: how do you meet 80% of the need at 20% of the price?”

Florian Lemoine (CTO) brings over 15 years of defense experience, including eight years at France’s defense procurement agency (DGA) and a role as senior adviser to NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT) .

Robin Mandel (COO) has over 15 years of industry and consulting experience, with roles at Thales, BCG, and Safran—giving him deep insight into both the engineering and operational sides of defense manufacturing .

The founding insight came from Fournier’s years in defense consulting. He saw that NATO studies before 2020 identified a gap between what integrated air defense required and what was available. The missing piece was affordable radar that could be deployed everywhere, not just at high-value sites .

Founder Intelligence: What Founders Can Learn from Gallium Defense

• Solve the cost problem, not the performance problem: Gallium didn’t try to build the world’s best radar. It built a radar that meets 80% of the need at 20% of the price—and that’s the radar most operators can actually afford to deploy.
• Borrow from adjacent industries: The key to Gallium’s cost breakthrough was using 5G telecommunications components instead of military-grade parts. The same gallium-based amplifiers used in telecom networks can work in radar—at a fraction of the cost .
• Build a supplier, not a prime: Gallium deliberately chose to be a radar specialist rather than a systems integrator. That focus made it easier to pitch once the right investor understood the model .
• Turn consulting insight into product: Fournier spent 17 years advising defense companies. He knew the gap existed. Gallium exists because he decided to fill it himself rather than write another report.

Investor Intelligence: Why This Round Gets Premium Capital

Keen Venture Partners and 360 Capital co-led the round. Keen’s General Partner Alexander Ribbink (former COO of TomTom) framed the thesis: “Great defence starts with superior visibility. Gallium Defense has the team, the industrial partners and the cost model to make drone detection a standard layer at every critical site—the kind of European capability our fund is proud to back” .

360 Capital’s partner Alexandre Mordacq added: “Drones have turned air security and air defense into a need for thousands of sites, and today’s radars were never designed for this paradigm. Eric, Florian and Robin have moved at remarkable speed since founding Gallium, and we are proud to support them in bringing the GDS-10 as quickly as possible to the operators and armed forces who need it most” .

The investor composition signals conviction: Keen’s dedicated European defense and security fund (closed over €150M in 2025), combined with 360 Capital’s deep tech expertise, positions Gallium to scale as European defense budgets expand .

The Road Ahead for Gallium Defense

Expansion Targets

With €7.1 million in capital, Gallium will:

• Open orders in Q1 2027, targeting roughly €6 million in orders by 2027 if six prospective customer discussions convert .
• Deliver first units by June 2027 .
• Expand from France into Germany and Eastern Europe .
• Grow the team to 30-50 by 2027, depending on sales .

The Real Test: 2027

Gallium is pre-revenue. The company has six potential customers in the pipeline, but no confirmed orders. The €6 million target for 2027 depends entirely on whether those discussions convert. The GDS-10 works in controlled field tests, but the machine learning algorithms still need field data to mature—which is exactly what the funding is for .

Competitive Response

Expect:

• Robin Radar Systems (Netherlands) to defend its position after winning a contract for 100 IRIS radars with the Dutch Ministry of Defence in December 2025 .
• Echodyne (US, raised $135M) and **Chaos Industries** (US, raised $510M at $4.5B valuation) to compete on capability and scale .
• Saab and other traditional defense primes to explore affordable radar offerings.
• Gallium’s moat: 10x cheaper antenna components + NVIDIA-powered processing + European sovereignty angle + founders with deep defense networks.

Conclusion

Gallium Defense’s €7.1 million seed funding validates the thesis that drone detection doesn’t need to be expensive to be effective. The company’s GDS-10 radar—built with 5G components, NVIDIA processing, and a blank-sheet design—targets the 80% of sites that traditional radar can’t economically protect.

Market tailwinds favor Gallium: European defense budgets are rising, drone incidents at airports are becoming routine, and NATO allies are actively seeking affordable counter-drone solutions. The company’s experienced founding team, cost-disruptive technology, and Keen’s dedicated defense fund position it to capture a meaningful share of a market that is only getting larger.

For deep analysis of defense tech funding, dual-use innovation, and companies reshaping European security, explore CREDX Media for comprehensive coverage of startup funding trends, valuation intelligence, and founder playbooks.

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is Gallium Defense’s total funding and latest round size?
Gallium Defense has raised €7.1 million ($7.7 million) in seed funding led by Keen Venture Partners and 360 Capital .

2. How much did Gallium Defense raise in its seed round and who led the investment?
Gallium Defense raised €7.1 million co-led by Keen Venture Partners and 360 Capital, with participation from Omnes Capital and Polytechnique Ventures .

3. What is the valuation of Gallium Defense?
Gallium Defense did not disclose its post-money valuation .

4. Who are the major investors in Gallium Defense?
Major investors include Keen Venture Partners and 360 Capital (co-leads), Omnes Capital, and Polytechnique Ventures .

5. Who are Gallium Defense’s founders?
Gallium Defense was founded in April 2026 by Eric Fournier (CEO), Florian Lemoine (CTO), and Robin Mandel (COO) .

6. What is Gallium Defense’s business model?
Gallium Defense manufactures and sells drone-detection radar systems. The GDS-10 is expected to be priced at approximately €500,000 per unit, with final pricing planned for April 2027 .

7. How does the GDS-10 radar work?
The GDS-10 is an X-band AESA radar using commercial 5G gallium-based components for the antenna, NVIDIA hardware for processing, and AI-based software for target classification. It detects Class 1 and FPV drones at up to 10km with 360-degree coverage .

8. What traction justifies Gallium Defense’s seed funding?
Gallium has two operational prototypes, has conducted open-air field trials detecting drones at 10km, and is in talks with six potential customers. The company aims for €6 million in orders in 2027 .

9. What are Gallium Defense’s plans for the €7.1 million seed capital?
Gallium will fund production of the first radars, train its AI models on field data, grow its team from 15 to 30-50 by 2027, and run monthly demonstrations for civil and military customers .

10. What problem does Gallium Defense solve for critical infrastructure?
More than 80% of critical infrastructure sites and military assets remain exposed to drone threats because affordable, field-ready radars don’t exist at scale. Gallium’s low-cost GDS-10 is designed to be deployed by the hundreds, not one at a time .

11. Who is the CEO of Gallium Defense?
Eric Fournier serves as CEO and co-founder. He spent 17 years advising defense and aerospace leaders at Boston Consulting Group before founding Gallium .