StartupsNov 3, 2026, 3:57 AM UTC·2 min read

Gallium Defense Raises €7.1M for Low-Cost Drone Detection Radar

Paris startup Gallium Defense has raised €7.1 million to industrialise the GDS-10, an AESA radar built from off-the-shelf parts to detect drones at lower cost.

Compact AESA radar unit mounted outdoors for detecting small drones near critical infrastructure. — Image: FRENCHWEB.FR

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Paris-based startup Gallium Defense has raised €7.1 million in seed funding to industrialise a drone-detection radar for critical infrastructure operators and armed forces. The round, announced on 2 November and closed in June, was led by Keen Venture Partners and 360 Capital, with Omnes Capital and Polytechnique Ventures also taking part.

The company's first product, the GDS-10, has just completed its first outdoor trials. It is an AESA (active electronically scanned array) radar, meaning its beam is steered electronically. Software processing helps interpret the received signals and classify targets.

Cutting the cost per radar

Gallium Defense's bet is on price. The team relies heavily on commercially available components, combined with embedded computing and a largely software-driven architecture. "How do you meet 80% of the need for 20% of the price?" asks co-founder and CEO Eric Fournier. The idea is that a cheaper radar lets operators cover more sites or add more detection points. The company stresses that this ratio remains a design goal.

According to the company, the GDS-10 targets a range of 10 kilometres against Class I and FPV drones, with 360° azimuth and 90° elevation coverage. It is meant to track several drones at once, including within a swarm. Two versions are planned, one civil and one military, built on a shared technology base. These figures are declared by the company; the announcement includes no test report on measurement conditions, detection probability or false-alarm rate.

Team and market

Founded in Paris in April 2026, the company has three co-founders: Fournier, who spent 17 years advising defence and aerospace clients at Boston Consulting Group; CTO Florian Lemoine, with experience at NATO, BCG and the French defence procurement agency DGA; and COO Robin Mandel, who has worked at Thales, BCG and Safran.

The market is not empty. Dutch firm Robin Radar Systems sells its IRIS drone-detection radar, and Denmark's Weibel offers the XENTA range of active-array radars. Mandel says Gallium's radars are designed to be built and deployed "by the hundreds, not by single units."

The funding will go toward industrialisation, hiring, training AI models and demonstrations for civil and military customers. Monthly demonstrations are planned, and orders for the GDS-10 are expected to open in the first quarter of 2027. Keen Venture Partners also says it will open its network among European defence ministries and manufacturers.