Gallium Defense lands €7.1M to build ‘Dacia of radar’ — TFN

• Gallium Protection has raised a €7.1 million seed spherical, led by Eager Enterprise Companions and 360 Capital.
• Its GDS-10 radar can detect small drones out to 10 kilometers at a price similar to alternate options with a lot shorter ranges.
• The Paris-based startup has not but generated income, is in talks with six potential clients, and goals to succeed in € 6 million in orders by 2027.

Gallium Defense emerged from stealth with a €7.1 million seed spherical led by Eager Enterprise Companions and 360 Capital, and goals to grow to be “the Dacia of the radar,” its founder, Eric Fournier, informed Tech Funding Information. Omnes Capital and Polytechnique Ventures additionally participated.

The funds will fund manufacturing of the primary radars, workforce development, AI mannequin coaching, and demos for each civil and army clients.

Why a funds radar, and why now

Fournier spent 17 years in defence, ready for the suitable second to arrange his personal firm in April 2026 with Florian Lemoine and Robin Mandel. In a dialog with TFN, he factors to NATO research earlier than 2020 that recognized a spot between what an built-in air defence functionality required and what was truly accessible.

Radar was the tougher factor to develop. Fournier had labored on a number of radar initiatives in France, and it took time to search out companions who may construct the delicate antennas. Actual R&D started in 2024, with the objective of proving the system labored in the true world beneath antagonistic circumstances, not simply in a presentation.

Gallium’s resolution makes use of cheaper antenna elements and provides processing energy instantly onto the antenna. The corporate says it has labored with strategic companions from the outset, together with radar design and prototyping specialists from the French Microwave Valley.

The GDS-10 is an X-band AESA radar with a software-defined, AI-based structure. It’s accessible in two variants: one for vital infrastructure and one for the army. The corporate claims it could detect Class 1 drones and FPV drones out to 10km.

It affords 360-degree azimuth and 90-degree elevation protection and may monitor a number of targets concurrently, together with drone swarms. It operates day and evening, in all climate, and may function within the presence of digital jamming.

Pre-revenue, six prospects, and a €6M goal

“As drones proliferate, conventional radars are reaching their operational and financial limits. At Gallium Protection, we began from a clean sheet with a easy query, requested by operators within the area: how do you meet 80% of the necessity at 20% of the worth? Our reply: a radically rethought AESA radar structure that makes intensive use of economic off-the-shelf elements and the facility of embedded computing. Sure, high-performance radar detection at scale is feasible!” stated Fournier.

Fournier confirmed the product already works, and the primary factor left is machine studying. That takes time within the area to coach the algorithms. Gallium is pre-revenue and has six potential clients within the pipeline. If these discussions go properly, they may land orders value round €6 million in 2027, in response to Fournier.

The subsequent stage is manufacturing. Fournier says Gallium at present has 15 individuals on the books and expects to develop to 17 by the tip of the yr. They’re taking a look at 30 to 50 by 2027, relying on gross sales.

Market competitors and what’s subsequent

A number of choices exist already. Dutch Robin Radar Techniques won a defence ministry contract in December 2025 for 100 IRIS drone detection radars. Within the US, Echodyne raised $135 million in a 2022 spherical co-led by Baillie Gifford and Invoice Gates, whereas Chaos Industries secured $510 million in November 2025 at a $4.5 billion valuation.

In Europe, Alta Ares raised €50 million in June 2026 to mix interceptors with detection and monitoring. Egide raised an €8 million seed spherical in March 2026 for low-cost interceptors. Stendr raised a $5.4 million pre-seed spherical in April 2026 for AI-based drone detection. Cambridge Aerospace raised $300 million at a $3.4 billion valuation in August and is working by itself radar.

“Nice defence begins with superior visibility. Gallium Protection has the workforce, the commercial companions and the associated fee mannequin to make drone detection a normal layer at each vital web site — the sort of European functionality our fund is proud to again,” stated Alexander Ribbink, basic accomplice at Eager and former COO of TomTom.

360 Capital’s accomplice Alexandre Mordacq famous, “Drones have turned air safety and air protection into a necessity for 1000’s of websites, and in the present day’s radars have been by no means designed for this paradigm. Eric, Florian and Robin have moved at exceptional velocity since founding Gallium, and we’re proud to assist them in bringing the GDS-10 as rapidly as attainable to the operators and armed forces who want it most.”

The information helps assertions about capital flows. European defence tech startups raised $7.4 billion in 2026, with Helsing’s $1.8 billion Series E alone accounting for over 85% of that whole. Laser is one other space of great funding, with Floor A raising €9.1 million in a pre-seed and INLEAP Photonics securing €20 million. MarketsandMarkets has a way more optimistic view of the counter-drone market, forecasting $9.17 billion in 2026 and $29.70 billion by 2031.

The actual check is 2027. Six of the prospects want to show their memos into precise orders; the primary items should be delivery by June, and the month-to-month outside demos would be the true check of whether or not an organization that launched in April 2026 can carry out to the extent of Robin Radar, Echodyne and Chaos on the worth Fournier has promised. Till somebody buys, the ‘Dacia of radar’ remains to be simply that: an thought.