Ingrained in our DNA

Innovations have made HENSOLDT into what it is today. Our company is based on a strong corporate heritage from leading European defence companies. Today, we stand for the pursuit of technological progress and innovation, the will to create premium, affordable solutions time and again, at the same time always maintaining a solid, practical sense of efficiency.

Moritz Carl Hensoldt, a pioneer in the field of optics and precision mechanics, developed benchmark technology solutions and products in his domain of binoculars and telescopic sights, revolutionising surveillance and reconnaissance as well as target acquisition in his time.

His relentless pursuit of innovation and his incomparable way of translating scientific findings into useful products, perfectly characterises the achievements of all the other heroes of technology who together formed the heritage of our company, working at predecessor companies such as AEG, Aerospatiale-Matra, Carl Zeiss, Cassidian, Daimler, Dornier, EADS, Siemens, and Telefunken, as well as Airbus.

Innovative Technologies

We've been pursuing innovative ideas which translate into technologies for the protection of forces across the globe and into a successful business for more than 150 years.
Read about our most recent innovations in our stories.

HENSOLDT Ventures

With HENSOLDT Ventures, the process from the idea to the profitable business model has been structured and has become an integral part of the corporate culture.

Today, more than ever, the employees’ creativity and inventiveness are the capital of every successful enterprise.

This is particularly true when, like HENSOLDT, the company is  operating in a strongly technology-driven market. But how can  companies motivate their employees to pursue and develop their ‘flashes of inspiration’? How can successful products, services or business models be created from this? And how can external ideas be profitably integrated into a company’s own business?

These questions are answered by HENSOLDT Ventures. The department was founded in 2017 as an in-house start-up lab that has its own budget to identify, support and implement new ideas  for business.

How ideas turn into business

At the beginning, there is always, as there was for Moritz Carl Hensoldt, a good idea. And that must be found and nurtured.  HENSOLDT has created the  Innovation Board for this purpose, to which all employees can present their ideas. Should the Innovation Board believe that an idea could develop into a business model,  then the first step has been taken.

And this is where HENSOLDT  Ventures comes into play. With the in-house start-up academy founded for this specific purpose, they help the person who had the idea to further elaborate it.
With a board member as a  sponsor at their side, budgets will be approved and, if necessary, prototypes will be produced and  tested in the market. Setbacks are part of the process until the idea is ready for series production.

Paving the way for future business success

HENSOLDT Ventures not only provides the necessary resources and processes, but also helps the originator of the idea to overcome internal hurdles. These range from the familiar ‘We have always done  it like that’ to possible overlaps with existing products or services. At the same time HENSOLDT Ventures is already thinking about the decisive step ahead.

After all, an idea is only as good as its future commercial success. This is why considerations about possible new products or even  business lines based on them,  including possible spin-offs, are made right from the outset. 

Moreover, HENSOLDT Ventures is also constantly looking for opportunities to invest in innovative activities that match its own business model and can be integrated into the company through collaborations or joint ventures.