Peter Thiel is probably joining Stark – a billion-dollar order from the Bundeswehr could make the startup a unicorn.
Has the second German unicorn been determined in 2026? According to information from insiders, US billionaire and Trump supporter Peter Thiel is said to have invested a double-digit million sum in the German drone startup Stark Defense through his Founders Fund. Investors from Europe should also be invested. This is what Manager Magazine reports.
This means the Berlin startup could achieve unicorn status. Stark’s valuation is said to have increased to more than one billion euros.
Stark did not want to comment on the financing round when asked by Manager Magazin and the Founders Fund and a spokesman for Peter Thiel have not yet responded.
Previous investors include the tech investor Thiel, the CIA-affiliated VC fund In-Q-Tel, the NATO innovation fund, the Berlin venture capitalist Project A and Doepfner Capital, a venture capital firm based in Los Angeles, led by Moritz Döpfner, son of Axel Springer CEO Mathias Döpfner (Founder scene belongs to Axel Springer).
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Major order from the Bundeswehr for Virtus drone
According to media reports, the Federal Ministry of Defense would also like to buy so-called kamikaze drones from the German defense startups Helsing and Stark for around 536 million euros.
The major order for the kamikaze drone “Virtus” is expected to be signed by Stark in February 2026, reports Manager Magazin. In total, the framework agreement is worth 4.3 billion euros. It is said that Stark will account for 3 billion. This could also mean that the valuation could soon rise further.
