Gallium Defense exits stealth with €7.1M to build cheaper drone-detection radar

What's the deal? Paris-based Gallium DefenseDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has emerged from stealth with a €7.1 million seed round led by Keen Venture PartnersDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and 360 Capital, with Omnes CapitalDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and Polytechnique VenturesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → participating. The startup is building the GDS-10, a 3D radar designed to detect drones and be mass-produced at a fraction of the cost of existing systems.

Why now? The announcement coincided with European Defence Week 2026, held 2–6 November in Paris. Gallium pitches its radar as a far cheaper alternative, targeting a price near €500,000 against the €2–5 million charged for comparable systems.

What's the endgame? The company says more than 80% of critical infrastructure sites and military assets remain unprotected against modern drone threats, largely because affordable radars do not exist. The GDS-10 is an X-band AESA radar with a software-defined, AI-native architecture, built in two versions — one for critical infrastructure operators, the other for armed forces — and designed to detect small drones at up to 10km.

Who's behind it? Gallium was founded in Paris in April 2026 by chief executive officer Eric Fournier, formerly of Boston Consulting GroupDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →; chief technology officer Florian Lemoine, previously at NATO; and chief operating officer Robin Mandel, formerly of ThalesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and Safran. The proceeds will fund production, hiring, AI-model training, and demonstrations for civil and military operators.

What could go wrong? Gallium is early-stage: the radar is only now entering field trials, its price and performance claims are not yet independently established, and commercial orders will not open until the first quarter of 2027. "Our radars are designed to be manufactured and deployed by the hundreds, not one at a time," said Mandel.

The signal: European counter-drone spending is accelerating — one industry report put 2026 funding for the sector at $895 million, and Poland recently awarded Weibel ScientificDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → an €84 million radar contract. Gallium's round is a bet on that expanding need, though it has yet to prove it can deliver or win procurement at scale.

Image credit: Gallium Defense