Hanover, 11 February 2026 – INLEAP Photonics is positioning itself as a new German defence tech company specialising in laser-based drone defence. With INLEAP® FASTLIGHT® SHIELD, the company is launching a proven, eye-safe and cost-efficient solution for the reliable protection of people, critical infrastructure, urban areas and security-sensitive facilities from drones. The technology addresses one of the most pressing physical threats currently facing society, the economy and state resilience in Germany and Europe.
INLEAP Photonics is further developing its industrial high-precision technology for security-critical deployment scenarios. The company’s INLEAP® FASTLIGHT® technology steers laser beams up to 2500 times faster than conventional solutions. This significantly accelerates industrial laser-based manufacturing processes, such as Additive Manufacturing and battery cell production. Building on this high-precision technology, the system has been further developed into a laser-based end-to-end solution that enables safe, reliable and effective drone defence.
With INLEAP® FASTLIGHT® SHIELD, the company addresses a growing market and closes a critical capability gap in security. The highly precise and ultra-fast laser beam intercepts drones within fractions of a second by targeting identified weak points. The system is mobile, requires no ammunition and can protect people, equipment and critical infrastructure.
A successful financing round completed last year, led by the High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF), confirms the strong market potential and high level of trust in the solution. The funding enables INLEAP Photonics to further advance its scaling and market entry in the defence and security sector. Ventis Capital and several private investors also participated in the round.
Dr.-Ing. Marius Lammers, Chief Executive Officer of INLEAP Photonics, says:
“The security policy and technical conditions are highly challenging. Drones are comparatively inexpensive and at the same time highly capable flying objects that can be used for espionage or as weapons, or can cause damage to infrastructure such as power grids and disrupt air traffic. Effective drone defence is therefore essential to protect people and critical infrastructure. Our technology addresses key operational challenges: it is eye-safe in operation, mobile due to its compact dimensions and also cost-efficient – making it ideally suited for deployment in urban and hard-to-access areas.”
Drone Defence Enabled by Ultra-Fast Laser Technology
INLEAP Photonics, which was awarded the Lower Saxony Innovation Prize in the “Key Technologies” category in 2024 for its industrial innovation, is now specifically applying its laser expertise to security-critical applications. INLEAP® FASTLIGHT® SHIELD uses the innovative laser beam steering to intercept drones efficiently, reliably and safely. A highly focused, extremely small high-energy light spot is directed at a structural weak point of the drone, which is identified in advance using AI-based analysis.
Dr.-Ing. Felix Wellmann, Chief Technology Officer of INLEAP Photonics, adds:
“The completed financing round marks an important milestone for us. Our strength lies in extremely fast and precise laser beam steering, even in demanding and adverse environments. These characteristics are crucial to intercept drones in a controlled, efficient manner without posing risks to the surrounding area. The investments allow us to implement industrial scaling and integration into operational deployment scenarios.”
Dr. Koen Geurts, Senior Investment Manager at HTGF, comments:
“At High-Tech Gründerfonds, we see INLEAP Photonics as a company with clear technological differentiation. INLEAP Photonics combines industrial laser expertise with a highly relevant application field. The team is addressing a rapidly growing market driven by a technologically advanced and responsible approach.”
INLEAP Photonics is preparing for its next phase of growth in order to further accelerate international scaling. At the same time, the company is continuing to expand its team and plans to hire additional specialists in the coming months.
About INLEAP Photonics
INLEAP Photonics is a German high-tech company that develops, manufactures and sells ultra-fast and highly precise laser beam steering systems. The company develops and industrialises high-performance laser technology for two key applications: increasing efficiency and productivity in industrial manufacturing, and enabling safe and controlled drone defence to protect people and critical infrastructure.
Based on the industrially proven INLEAP® FASTLIGHT® technology, INLEAP® FASTLIGHT® SHIELD has been developed as a laser-based solution for controlled and eye-safe drone defence. It enables deployment in sensitive and urban environments – reliably, precisely and without collateral damage.
INLEAP Photonics was founded as a spin-off from the Laser Zentrum Hannover e. V. and combines deep expertise in optics and laser system engineering with industrial robustness. The company addresses industrial users, public-sector clients and security-relevant organisations across Europe. Further information is available at: www.inleap-photonics.com.
About HTGF – High-Tech Gründerfonds
HTGF is one of the leading and most active early-stage investors in Germany and Europe, financing startups in the fields of Deep Tech, Industrial Tech, Climate Tech, Digital Tech, Life Sciences and Chemistry. With its experienced investment team, HTGF supports startups in all phases of their development into international market leaders. HTGF invests in pre-seed and seed phases and can participate significantly in later-stage financing rounds. Since its inception in 2005, HTGF has financed around 800 startups and achieved 200 successful exits. HTGF has a fund volume of over 2 billion euros.
Fund investors in the public-private partnership include the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, KfW Capital as well as 45 companies and family offices.
For more information, please visit HTGF.de or follow us on LinkedIn.
About Ventis Capital
Ventis Capital is a venture capital fund backed by an entrepreneurial family, investing in early-stage, technology-driven companies. The fund focuses on founding teams that leverage innovative technologies to address tangible industrial, societal, or economic challenges. Ventis Capital serves as a long-term partner to its portfolio companies, providing both capital and strategic expertise to support the development and scaling of sustainable business models.
