Gallium Defense, a Paris start-up that builds radar for spotting small drones, has raised €7.1m (about $8m) in a seed round, according to Tech.eu. The company came out of stealth with the announcement on 2 November 2026.
Tech.eu and Tech Funding News reported that Keen Venture Partners and 360 Capital led the round, with Omnes Capital and Polytechnique Ventures also investing. Gallium's website lists all four firms as investors in a seed round it dates to June 2026, but does not give the amount. No valuation was disclosed.
“As drones proliferate, traditional radars are reaching their operational and economic limits.”Eric Fournier, CEO and Co-founder, Gallium Defense
What Gallium Defense makes
The company's first product, the GDS-10, is an X-band active electronically scanned array radar whose functions are defined in software so that AI models can be added. Gallium says it can pick up small drones, including first-person-view (FPV) drones, at up to 10km, covering 360 degrees horizontally and 90 degrees vertically. It is designed to follow several targets at once, including swarms, in any weather and under jamming.
There will be one version for operators of critical infrastructure, such as energy sites, data centres and airports, and one for armed forces. Tech.eu reported that the radar uses about 512 antenna elements and that the company has cut the unit cost of each antenna more than tenfold by using cheaper, commercially available parts. Chief executive Eric Fournier told Tech.eu the goal was to cover most of the need at a fraction of the price.
According to Tech.eu, Gallium has built two working antennas and detected small drones at 10km in controlled conditions. Outdoor field trials have started, and orders are due to open in the first quarter of 2027.
Who is behind it
Gallium was set up in April 2026 by Fournier, chief technology officer Florian Lemoine and chief operating officer Robin Mandel, who had worked together at Boston Consulting Group. Tech Funding News reported that Fournier spent 17 years in defence. Lemoine previously worked with NATO and France's defence procurement agency, the DGA, and Mandel worked at Thales and Safran, according to Tech.eu.
The company had 15 employees at the time of the announcement. Tech Funding News reported that it expects 17 by the end of the year and 30 to 50 by 2027, depending on sales.
What the money is for
The funding will pay for production of the first radars, hiring, training AI models and monthly demonstrations for civil and military customers in Europe and NATO countries. Fournier told Tech.eu that Gallium wants to supply large defence contractors rather than compete with them.
The company has no revenue yet. Tech Funding News reported that it is in talks with six potential customers and hopes to win about €6m (about $6.7m) of orders in 2027, with first units shipping by June.
Investors framed the deal around the spread of cheap drones. Alexandre Mordacq of 360 Capital said air security has become a need for thousands of sites, and Keen's Alexander Ribbink said Gallium's cost model could make drone detection a standard feature at critical sites.
Company website: gallium-defense.com