Paris startup Gallium Defense exits stealth with 7.1 million euros for drone detection

Gallium Defense, a Paris-based startup building low-cost drone detection radar, has emerged from stealth with a 7.1 million euro seed funding round. The round was led by Keen Venture Partners and 360 Capital, with participation from Omnes Capital and Polytechnique Ventures. The announcement coincided with European Defense Week 2026, held November 2 to 6 in Paris.

The company was founded in April 2026 by Eric Fournier, Florian Lemoine, and Robin Mandel. Gallium says more than 80% of critical infrastructure sites and military assets remain exposed to drone threats because affordable, field-ready radar capable of addressing the threat at scale doesn't exist yet.

Its flagship product, the GDS-10, is an X-band AESA radar with a software-defined, AI-native architecture, built using commercial off-the-shelf components, and comes in versions for critical infrastructure operators and for armed forces. According to the company, the GDS-10 can detect Class 1 and FPV drones at a range of 10 kilometers, with 360-degree azimuth coverage and 90-degree elevation coverage without blind spots, and can track several drones at once, including in a swarm.

Just four months after closing its seed round, Gallium says it conducted its first open-air field trials. The new funding will go toward industrializing production, growing the team, training its AI models, and running demonstrations for civil and military operators. The company plans to open orders for the GDS-10 in the first quarter of 2027.

Why it matters

It's a notable bet on affordable, software-defined drone-detection hardware as European governments ramp up spending on counter-drone defense.

Source: EU-Startups