A European Startup Takes On Palantir
Helsing demonstrates AI target-location software aimed squarely at European government buyers.
German defence company Helsing was due to demonstrate AI-based military target-location software on 11 November 2026, according to Reuters. The pitch targets European governments’ discomfort with dependence on US suppliers, a concern sharpened by repeated threats from Trump to withdraw from NATO and by growing anxiety over data sovereignty. The move marks a shift in defence AI commercialisation from drones toward decision software, and represents Europe’s most concrete attempt to build a domestic substitute for Palantir. Procurement discussions in Europe are likely to accelerate after the demonstration.