Introduction to Counter-Drone Systems

The ongoing war in Ukraine has significantly elevated the importance of drones in modern warfare, resulting in a substantial increase in demand for effective counter-drone systems. However, traditional methods for countering drones, including ground-based defense systems and cyber warfare, are often prohibitively expensive.

The Need for Cost-Effective Solutions

For Alpine Eagle, a German startup, these conventional solutions are insufficient. When $500 first-person view (FPV) drones can potentially destroy multi-million dollar tanks, there is a pressing need for more affordable and effective countermeasures. Jan-Hendrik Boelens, a Dutch entrepreneur and co-founder of Alpine Eagle, emphasized the importance of cost-effective solutions. "We utilize inexpensive, mass-producible systems to establish a symmetry against the numerical advantage of cheap strike drones," he explained to TechCrunch.

Alpine Eagle’s Approach

Munich-based Alpine Eagle, founded in 2023, has developed Sentinel, a combination of software and hardware designed with cost efficiency in mind. Unlike ground-based solutions, such as Hover’s counter-drone turret, Sentinel is airborne. It features modular sensors that are not hindered by terrain or obstacles and avoids becoming a stationary target.

Sentinel’s Operational Capabilities

The system’s mothership, which is sophisticated but not expendable, carries kamikaze interceptors. These interceptors enable Sentinel to detect threats, jam them, capture objects with nets, or destroy hostile drones altogether. While potential applications exist in law enforcement and other sectors, current geopolitical tensions have driven demand primarily from the military.

Market and Funding

Alpine Eagle has secured the German army as its launch customer, along with other government agencies, and achieved seven-digit revenues in its first year of operation. This success helped the startup close a €10.25 million Series A round, led by British deep tech VC firm IQ Capital. The new funding will support the expansion of its team, including machine learning practitioners and aeronautical engineers, with plans to increase its headcount to 40.

Expansion and Market Focus

The involvement of a British VC firm is strategic, as the U.K. will be a key market in Alpine Eagle’s expansion. Recent events have highlighted the need to protect military bases and broader infrastructure from drone threats. Alpine Eagle is part of the growing European defense tech sector, which has seen increased VC interest, particularly in countries feeling threatened.

Investor Support and Urgency

In addition to returning investors General Catalyst and HCVC, Alpine Eagle’s investor base now includes funds from Estonia, Germany, and Poland. Boelens emphasized the importance of a consortium of European investors who share the urgency of building a European defense tech ecosystem. Despite this sense of urgency, the company did not rush the introduction of Sentinel into Ukraine, instead ensuring the system was mature and effective before deployment.

Testing and Validation

After validating its system with the German army, Alpine Eagle is now testing Sentinel in Ukraine and collaborating with different brigades to identify use cases on the front line. One such use case involves fiber optic drones, which are harder to detect or jam due to their use of cables instead of radio frequency.

Technological Advantages

Drones immune to RF interference pose a challenge to many counter-drone systems, including those developed by U.S. defense tech startup Epirus. In contrast, Alpine Eagle’s airborne system can integrate various sensors, including radar panels, to detect low-flying drones that often evade ground-based systems.

AI and Adaptive Tactics

Alpine Eagle utilizes AI for data processing and navigation onboard its hardware, as well as for collecting data to retrain algorithms and develop more adaptive tactics based on real-world observations. Another key aspect of Sentinel is swarming, which follows the logic of limiting costs and casualties in unmanned modern warfare.

Operational Efficiency and Future Plans

Boelens noted, "We realized that all Western powers have the problem of not having enough soldiers, so we try to build a system where many drones can be operated by a single operator using high automation levels and promoting the soldier to a mission manager rather than a pilot." This approach reflects Alpine Eagle’s commitment to innovative, cost-effective solutions for the evolving landscape of modern warfare.