Estonian defense startup Frankenburg Technologies plans to begin testing its newly developed air defense missiles in Ukraine next year, CEO Kusti Salm announced on Thursday to ERR.
“The technology is promising, and we will start testing in Ukraine next year,” Salm stated. He confirmed that an agreement for testing has been reached and that the company has already garnered considerable attention.
Highlighting the growing interest in Frankenburg, Bloomberg recently featured the company as one of the top four high-tech defense startups in Europe. Frankenburg’s mission is straightforward: “Technology to Win the War.” The firm specializes in producing cost-effective missiles aimed at shooting down drones using artificial intelligence.
Frankenburg’s website emphasizes that its goal is to revolutionize missile targeting systems through an AI-based situational awareness program. The company’s missile, Mark 1, is designed to efficiently counter Iranian-made Shahed kamikaze drones, which have been a consistent threat to Ukrainian forces.
According to Salm, Frankenburg’s air defense missile is capable of intercepting targets flying at altitudes of up to two kilometers. Iranian drones, specifically the Shahed-131 (known in its Russian version as Geran-1) and the Shahed-136 (Geran-2), generally operate at these altitudes when used against Ukrainian troops.
Frankenburg’s growth trajectory has been remarkable. Less than a year ago, it had not attracted any venture capital, yet today the company has secured the necessary funding, as confirmed by Salm in Bloomberg’s coverage. Salm, formerly the Secretary General of Estonia’s Ministry of Defense, has recruited four retired generals to join Frankenburg, including notable names like Martin Herem, the former commander of the Estonian Defence Forces, and Veiko-Vello Palm, former head of Estonia’s Division and General Staff.
Bloomberg noted that Taavi Madiberk holds the majority ownership of Frankenburg, with a 70.32% stake, while MM Group, owned by Margus Linnamäe, has a 25.97% stake, and Marko Virkebau owns 3.7%.
In the early phase, Frankenburg plans to produce several dozen missiles per week, scaling up to hundreds each week by the third quarter of next year. Salm emphasized that the demand for new weapons will persist, even if a ceasefire is reached in Ukraine. “A new, much larger conflict is expected in Europe,” he told Bloomberg.
Frankenburg is one of several defense startups making waves in Europe. Other notable firms include Stark Defense, Volya Robotics, and Helsing, which has already received five billion euros in funding. These companies have rapidly evolved to meet Europe’s increasing defense demands, especially as European nations face the possibility of having to defend themselves with reduced American support, should Donald Trump return to the U.S. presidency.
As defense budgets increase across Europe, governments are investing not only in traditional military hardware like fighter jets and tanks but also in autonomous drones and AI systems. “They have absolutely no choice,” said Lorenz Meier, CEO of Auterion, a drone software company, to Bloomberg. “Defense spending is increasing and leaning towards unmanned systems.”
