Gallium Defence raises €7.1 million for scalable drone detection

By Grace Kim

Gallium Defence emerged from stealth with a €7.1 million Seed funding round to scale a drone detection radar built for mass deployment. The Paris-based startup announced the financing during European Defence Week 2026, held Nov. 2-6 in Paris. Keen Venture Partners and 360 Capital led the round; Omnes Capital and Polytechnique Ventures participated.

What problem is Gallium Defence targeting?

Gallium Defence says more than 80% of critical infrastructure sites and military assets remain exposed to modern drone threats. It attributes the gap to a lack of affordable, field-ready radars that can address the threat at scale.

The company says it was formed to make high-performance radars more affordable and easier to deploy for air security and air defence.

CEO and co-founder Eric Fournier said: “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?”

“Our answer: a radically rethought AESA radar architecture that makes extensive use of commercial off-the-shelf components and the power of embedded computing,” Fournier said.

Gallium Defence’s pitch is to cut radar costs and deployment barriers through AESA design and commercial off-the-shelf components.

Who is behind the startup?

According to Gallium Defence, the company was founded in April 2026 by Eric Fournier, Florian Lemoine and Robin Mandel. Fournier is CEO, Mandel is COO, and all three are co-founders with defence and industrial backgrounds.

Fournier spent 17 years advising defence and aerospace leaders at Boston Consulting Group. Lemoine has more than 15 years of defence experience and previously advised NATO SACT. Mandel has more than 15 years of industry and consulting experience through roles at Thales, BCG and Safran.

“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,” said Alexander Ribbink, General Partner, Keen Venture Partners.

The founding team combines consulting, defence, aerospace and industrial experience.

What can the GDS-10 detect?

Gallium Defence describes the GDS-10 as its flagship product, an X-band AESA radar with software-defined, AI-native architecture. The company says it is designed for dual use and comes in two versions: one for critical infrastructure operators and one for armed forces.

According to Gallium Defence, the GDS-10 can detect Class 1 and FPV drones at a range of 10 km. It provides 360° azimuth coverage and 90° elevation coverage with no blind spots, and can track multiple drones simultaneously, including within a swarm, day and night, in all weather conditions.

Because the GDS-10 is software-defined, Gallium Defence says its capabilities can evolve as new threats emerge.

The GDS-10 package combines broad detection, simultaneous tracking and software-defined upgrades for two customer groups.

Can Gallium Defence manufacture it at scale?

“Our radars are designed to be manufactured and deployed by the hundreds, not one at a time,” said Robin Mandel, COO and co-founder of Gallium Defense.

Just four months after closing its Seed round, Gallium Defence conducted its first open-air field trials. The Paris-based company says monthly field demonstrations are now underway.

Gallium Defence says the Seed funding will industrialise production of its first products, strengthen the team, train AI models and run demonstrations for civil and military operators around the world.

Mandel’s manufacturing test is straightforward: turn field trials into output in the hundreds.

When can customers order the GDS-10?

Gallium Defence plans to open orders for the GDS-10 in the first quarter of 2027. The company is pitching the system as a sovereign European answer to drone detection at scale.

For Gallium Defence, the first quarter of 2027 is the commercial deadline: orders must open after monthly demonstrations and the first open-air field trials, which came four months after the round closed. Production is designed for deployment in the hundreds.

The Q1 2027 order opening will test whether the stated 10 km range, 360° coverage and 20% price target can move from field demonstrations to scaled deliveries.