Inleap Photonics secures Pre-Seed funding for laser-based drone defense
Hannover-based DeepTech startup Inleap Photonics has completed its Pre-Seed funding round and is emerging from stealth mode. High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) is leading the round, with Ventis Capital and additional private investors participating. The capital flows into scaling a laser-based defense system designed to reduce response time against drone threats to milliseconds. The technology targets operators of critical infrastructure, government agencies, and European armed forces.
Drones are becoming an operational risk: cost-effective, readily available, and difficult to stop in many scenarios. Military and infrastructure operators need systems that work within seconds and remain precise. Inleap Photonics addresses this gap: its defense system neutralizes drones through high-precision energy delivery at identified weak points – deployable on the move and designed for repeated operations.
Industrial laser technology becomes a defense platform
The core technology “Inleap Fastlight” originally stems from battery cell production. It enables ultrafast and precise laser beam steering. The defense system “Inleap Fastlight Shield” is built on this industrially validated platform. The German company has successfully developed and tested it. CEO Dr.-Ing. Marius Lammers explains: “We counter asymmetric drone threats with technological superiority. The current security situation allows no slow solutions. Our system closes the time gap between detection and effect.”
Global ambitions
CTO Dr.-Ing. Felix Wellmann likewise emphasizes technical performance: “Our industrial expertise enables laser beam steering at speeds that current systems cannot achieve. The prototype has demonstrated that we can neutralize agile targets in milliseconds.” HTGF Investment Manager Dr. Koen Geurts sees significant market potential: “With its laser-based approach, Inleap Photonics addresses a highly relevant future field between DeepTech and Defense. Inleap’s precision and performance are extraordinary. The ambition is clear: Inleap is to become a global player.”
Following successful demonstration of core capabilities, Inleap Photonics is working on operational scaling. This includes expanding performance ranges, validating in real-world deployment scenarios, and further developing system integration into existing security architectures. The system is designed to be eye-safe and enables deployment in sensitive and urban environments without collateral damage.
Inleap Photonics is a spin-off from Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V. The company develops and industrializes laser beam steering systems for two application fields: efficiency gains in industrial manufacturing and protection of people and critical infrastructure from drones. Target audiences include industrial users, public sector clients, and security-relevant organizations in Europe.
