Frankfurter Allgemeine: The People Behind the Billion-Dollar Deals

FCF Presse — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 11:05:15 GMT

FCF IN THE MEDIA

Defense firm Helsing reclaims the title of Germany’s most valuable startup

F.A.Z. / F.A.S. · Anna Sophie Kühne · July 18, 2026

Young defense companies like Helsing are being showered with money. American investors are also getting involved.

The F.A.S. publishes an exclusive analysis by FCF Equity Research: More than $5 billion has already flowed into European defense startups this year—more than in all of last year. Germany accounts for the largest share of the transaction volume, at over 51%.

The catalyst is Helsing’s new funding round of $1.8 billion at a valuation of $18 billion. FCF expert Florian Theyermann comments on market dynamics, the growing role of American investors in large funding rounds, and the IPO outlook: “We can expect several major IPOs over the next two years.”