HENSOLDT invests in Project Q and strengthens the partnership
- HENSOLDT participates in a new funding round for the defence tech company Project Q
- The investment strengthens cooperation in software-centred defence and multi-domain integration
- HENSOLDT acts as a bridge-builder between the European defence tech ecosystem and the established defence industry
HENSOLDT has participated in the funding round for the European defence tech company Project Q.
The round was led by the Polish venture capital investor Expeditions Fund; Project A and Heliad also participated. With this investment, HENSOLDT is further expanding its existing strategic collaboration with Project Q and strengthening its activities in the field of software-defined defence and multi-domain integration.
The parties have agreed not to disclose the amount of the investment.
Project Q develops open software solutions that enable sensors, unmanned systems, command and mission systems, and other capabilities from different manufacturers to be securely interconnected and orchestrated.
The aim of the partnership is to combine Project Q’s open-source solution, HYDRIS, with HENSOLDT’s software-centred integration approach.
Whilst HENSOLDT contributes its sensor technology, AI and edge technologies, as well as its MDOcore integration platform, Project Q complements these with HYDRIS, further edge and mesh applications, and its own acoustic and seismic sensor solutions.
With this investment, HENSOLDT is reinforcing its role as a bridge-builder between the established defence industry and start-ups. The company offers young European defence tech companies access to its programmes, platforms and procurement structures, thereby accelerating the path from innovation to operational capability.
The investment forms part of the company’s strategy to further develop software-defined defence capabilities in collaboration with European partners and to strengthen HENSOLDT’s position as a neo-systems house.
Christian Schmidt, Chief Strategy Officer at HENSOLDT, says: “HENSOLDT is actively shaping the defence ecosystem of tomorrow – through strategic partnerships and selected start-up investments. We combine the innovative strength of young companies such as Project Q with our systems expertise and global market access. This investment is a clear commitment to a cooperative systems architecture that strengthens Europe’s technological sovereignty.”
Leonard Wessendorf, CEO and co-founder of Project Q, adds: “The collaboration with HENSOLDT demonstrates how the strengths of established systems integrators and modern defence tech companies complement each other effectively. Together, we are creating the conditions to bring existing and new capabilities together in an interoperable and software-centred way.”
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Our company
HENSOLDT is a leading European high-tech company in the defence and security industry, based in Taufkirchen near Munich. The company develops sensor solutions, electronics and software for the air, land, sea, cyber and space domain, helping armed forces worldwide to detect threats early and make informed operational decisions.
Building on decades of experience in mission-critical sensor technology, HENSOLDT combines radar, optronics, electronics and cyber expertise with data-driven software and artificial intelligence. The aim is to integrate and analyse sensor data from different platforms and domains and merge it into a reliable situational picture.
HENSOLDT has thus evolved from a traditional sensor supplier to a new-generation system integrator – a ‘neo-system house’ that enables networked, Software-Defined Defence capabilities and supports information superiority in missions.
In the 2025 financial year, HENSOLDT achieved a turnover of €2.46 billion with around 9,500 employees. The company is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange in the MDAX.
About Project Q
Project Q is a European defence technology company with offices in Munich and Berlin. We develop integration infrastructure for modern security and defence ecosystems, connecting sensors, unmanned systems, command and mission systems, and other capabilities for the armed forces, security agencies and critical infrastructure operators. To achieve this, we rely on HYDRIS, our proprietary open-source integration and orchestration solution.
HYDRIS brings together commercially available (COTS) technologies, data sources and existing legacy systems into a single operational environment. Through open standards, AI-powered data processing, edge computing and distributed operations, HYDRIS provides a vendor-neutral foundation for resilient and technologically sovereign operations.
Further information: www.project-q.ai