Peter Thiel-Backed Family Office Joins $62 Million Fundraising for German Drone Maker

BERLIN, Sept. 4 (Reuters) - Thiel Capital, the private investment firm of billionaire Peter Thiel, has participated in a $62 million funding round for Stark, a Munich-based developer of weaponized drones. The investment, led by Stark’s existing backers, underscores growing interest among high-net-worth investors in defense technology firms.

Stark specializes in unmanned aerial systems designed for both surveillance and kinetic operations. Its latest financing follows Thiel Capital’s earlier investment in Quantum Systems, another German drone manufacturer, and builds on Thiel’s long-standing support for defense tech ventures, including Anduril Industries.

“Stark’s platform offers significant edge in autonomous targeting and real-time data integration,” said an executive familiar with the round. The company plans to use the fresh capital to accelerate product development, expand production capacity and pursue new military and homeland-security contracts.

Thiel, co-founder of Palantir Technologies and Founders Fund, has been an active backer of technology firms that intersect with national security, emphasizing advanced AI, cyber-defense and aerospace applications. His backing of Stark comes as European governments increase defense budgets and seek to diversify drone suppliers amid evolving security challenges.