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STARK
European defence company From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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STARK is a European defence technology company specialised in unmanned systems across multiple domains. The company sells loitering munitions to the German Bundeswehr and NATO states.[1][2]
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History
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STARK was established in 2024 by a group of technologists and entrepreneurs, including Johannes Schaback—formerly Chief Technology Officer of SumUp and Uwe Horstmann.[3] The company was formed to address urgent operational demands highlighted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[4]
In early 2025, STARK launched its flagship products, the OWE-V Virtus loitering munition and the Minerva mission control suite.[5] By mid-2025, the company opened a new production facility in Munich,[6] and later that year the German Ministry of Defence reportedly placed an order for extended testing and trials of the OWE-V Virtus with the Bundeswehr.[5][7]
In July 2025, the company announced it would open a 40,000 sq ft factory in Swindon, UK.[8] The following month, the company raised $62 million in a new funding round led by Sequoia Capital, valuing the company at $500 million.[9][10]
In 2025, STARK reportedly conducted a reconnaissance and precision strike operation in Ukraine using their respective platforms in a coordinated mission.[11]
In the same year, the company was reported to have secured a €300 million contract with the German Bundeswehr for the delivery of loitering munitions and supporting systems.[12]
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Products
STARK’s core product is the OWE-V Virtus, an electrically powered VTOL loitering munition capable of cruising at 120 km/h, diving at up to 250 km/h, carrying a 5 kg warhead, and operating for 60 minutes. It can be launched from static or mobile platforms without additional infrastructure, and within six months of its introduction was deployed in Ukraine against a range of ground and strategic targets.[13][14]
The company’s Minerva software suite enables precision-strike coordination in GNSS-denied or data-link-degraded environments, integrates with existing battle management systems, and orchestrates temporally and spatially synchronized strike swarms.
STARK’s maritime systems include the Vanta-4 and Vanta-6 unmanned surface vessels, designed for reconnaissance and strike missions in open-water environments.[15]
In addition, STARK offers a line of custom UAVs and USVs for reconnaissance, surveillance, and precision engagements, along with proprietary command-and-control interfaces and datalinks.[14][16]
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References
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