Warsaw, Poland · Startup DefendEye is a Kraków-based deep-tech startup building fully autonomous, AI-powered tube-launched UAV systems for dual-use perimeter security and defence. Founded in 2023 by serial entrepreneur James Buchheim with a multinational team, its core product is a sub-250g drone stored in a sealed launch tube that deploys in under ten seconds via motion-triggered radar — with no trained pilot — climbs to altitude, performs AI human detection in milliseconds, and streams encrypted video to a cloud command centre before returning autonomously.
The system is dual-use by design: civilian applications cover search-and-rescue and critical-infrastructure inspection, while security variants address perimeter breaches, border surveillance and active-shooter response. With an IP65 airframe, night-vision camera, onboard neural processor and optional Starlink connectivity, DefendEye targets NATO-facing procurement and is building an NDAA-compliant supply chain. It raised ~PLN 4.8M (~€1.1M) in a May 2025 seed round led by Polish deep-tech VC Hard2beat with Sunfish Partners, to finalise its commercial product and begin EU and US certification.
Munich, Germany · Person Florian Seibel is Co-founder & CEO of the dual-use drone maker Quantum Systems. A founder in the German startup ecosystem, Florian leads the dual-use drone maker Quantum Systems.
Odense, Denmark · Innovation Hub Odense Robotics is Denmark's national robotics and automation cluster, connecting companies, universities, and public partners in the Odense region. The hub supports startups through business development, talent programs, and investor matchmaking, and it helps scale a dense robotics supply chain anchored by global leaders. Odense Robotics also promotes Denmark internationally as a robotics hub and drives collaboration in areas like drones, cobots, and industrial automation. It is a key engine behind Denmark's robot valley reputation.
Osijek, Croatia · Startup Orqa is an Osijek-based hardware company that builds high-performance FPV (first-person-view) goggles, video transmission systems, and drone software used by professional drone racers, industrial inspection teams, cinematography crews, and — increasingly — military users in Ukraine and elsewhere who need low-latency remote flight at scale. The company's flagship FPV.One family of goggles became a reference product in the high-end racing scene for its micro-OLED displays, refresh rates, and firmware openness, and the team has since expanded into digital HD video links and open FPV platforms. Orqa runs a full electronics design and manufacturing operation out of Slavonia, which is unusual in a region better known for software, and has become a visible example of defense-and-dual-use hardware built on a European open supply chain. For the directory it rounds out Croatia's industrial-tech picture alongside Rimac's automotive deep tech and Infobip's telecom infrastructure.