- UVC Partners leads seed funding round
- Strong demand drives investment in series production and international expansion
- Funding strengthens INLEAP Photonics’ position as a European provider of laser-based drone defence solutions
Hanover, 1 September 2026 – German deep-tech company INLEAP Photonics has closed a seed funding round led by UVC Partners, securing approximately €20 million in total for laser-based drone defence. Other investors from Germany and across Europe include HTGF (Germany), Balnord (Poland), Sentris (Estonia) and Scale Capital (Denmark).
The funding round comes at a time of growing urgency. Recent incidents, including the drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport, demonstrate the immediate and real threat posed by unmanned aerial vehicles to critical infrastructure. The demand for effective, safe and sovereign counter-drone systems has never been higher.
INLEAP Photonics addresses this need with efficient and safe laser-based drone defence solutions and is already working with customers and partners including the German Federal Ministry of Defence (BMVg) and the Bundeswehr Cyber Innovation Hub. The recently announced strategic partnership with STARK Defence further underlines the growing demand for sovereign, operationally proven C-UAS (Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems) developed in Germany.
In response to strong market demand, INLEAP Photonics will use the new capital to expand its production and testing capacity and continue growing its team.
“Our technology has reached the market and we are seeing strong order intake. We are now investing in manufacturing, quality assurance, sales and service to meet demand and deliver our systems at greater scale,” says Dr.-Ing. Marius Lammers, CEO and founder of INLEAP Photonics. “We will establish INLEAP Photonics as a leading European provider of laser effectors.”
UVC Partners leads seed funding round
UVC Partners is the lead investor in the new financing round. The investor base has also been expanded to include new backers such as Balnord, Scale Capital and Sentris, bringing additional expertise and networks to support INLEAP Photonics’ expansion across Europe.
“Drone defence is no longer a purely military issue. Airports, energy facilities and data centres require the same level of protection as defence installations. INLEAP Photonics is the only team whose technology meets the requirements of both environments: eye-safe for civilian use and robust enough for deployment in conflict zones. For us, this dual-use capability is the key lever for scaling,” says Amanda Birkenholz, Partner at UVC Partners.
Funding to accelerate series production, development and market expansion
With the proceeds from the seed round, INLEAP Photonics will accelerate the scaling of its technology for defence applications and the protection of critical infrastructure.
“Moving into series production requires more than simply adding capacity. Every unit must be manufactured, tested and accepted under the same defined conditions. This is why we are investing in standardised assembly and testing processes, rigorous quality assurance and reliable supply chains,” says Dr.-Ing. Felix Wellmann, CTO and founder of INLEAP Photonics.
Specifically, the capital will be invested in the following areas:
- Scaling series production: Establishing and standardising manufacturing and testing processesfor INLEAP® FASTLIGHT® HELD and INLEAP® FASTLIGHT® SHIELD®
- Research and development: Further development of the core technology, particularly its eye-safe operating principle. This enables INLEAP® FASTLIGHT® SHIELD® to be deployed in urban and safety-critical environments and differentiates the system from all other solutions on the market.
- Sales and service: Expanding sales, customer support and market presence in Germany and across Europe. Further locations are planned in Germany and other European countries to intensify cooperation with public-sector customers and security-relevant organisations such as the Bundeswehr and to reach prospective customers more quickly.
- Quality assurance and certifications: Developing and implementing the required processes, evidence and certifications for reliable deployment in industrial and security-critical environments.
Laser systems technology for different operational scenarios
INLEAP Photonics develops and supplies high-precision, ultra-fast laser beam steering systems. INLEAP® FASTLIGHT® SHIELD® has been developed for controlled and eye-safe drone defence. The laser effector neutralises drones within seconds by precisely targeting identified weak points. The system is intended for military applications as well as civilian and critical infrastructure environments.
INLEAP® FASTLIGHT® HELD (High Energy Laser Drone) is a system for laser-based drone defence on an unmanned ground platform and extends the range of applications for mobile C-UAS scenarios. It is based on the same technological foundation and combines the laser effector with a compact, all-terrain UGV platform (Unmanned Ground Vehicle) and a C-UAS software platform.
The new funding will enable INLEAP Photonics to further develop and scale both product lines.
About INLEAP Photonics
INLEAP Photonics is a high-tech company that produces and markets ultra-fast, precise laser beam steering systems. The company focuses in particular on two application areas: increasing the efficiency of industrial laser-based manufacturing processes and enabling safe, controlled drone defence to protect people and critical infrastructure.
INLEAP Photonics was founded as a spin-off from Laser Zentrum Hannover e. V. and combines industrial robustness with leading expertise in optics and laser systems technology. Further information is available at inleap-photonics.com.
About UVC Partners
UVC Partners backs Europe’s most ambitious B2B tech founders building new category leaders. From DeepTech to AI, the firm has invested in breakout startups including Isar Aerospace, Proxima Fusion, Q.ANT, Aleph Alpha, Tacto, Flix, and FINN.
With €800 million in assets under management, UVC Partners invests up to €10 million initially across multiple stages from early to growth. Over the lifetime of the investment, €40 million per company can be deployed.
Beyond capital, UVC Partners’ investment team is a “tech team for tech teams” – supporting founders in building and scaling market-leading companies. Through its unique access to UnternehmerTUM – Europe’s leading innovation hub – the VC offers a powerful ecosystem of entrepreneurs, key corporate decision-makers, and top-tier researchers. UVC Partners’ value-creation team provides direct access to a network of 1,000+ companies – potential customers and strategic partners.
