Barcelona-based robotics startup Keybotic has been acquired by Helsing, a software-first German defence company, in a deal that underscores a broader shift in the European Union towards building homegrown defence technologies and protecting critical infrastructure. This acquisition is a microcosm of the macro trend sweeping across Europe: a renewed emphasis on security sovereignty.
During its first-ever press conference in July 2025, Helsing, based in Munich, highlighted Europe’s growing need for autonomous defence capabilities. Dr. Gundbert Scherf, co-founder and co-CEO of Helsing, emphasised the importance of developing these capabilities to safeguard the continent’s critical infrastructure. Founded in 2021, Helsing has successfully raised significant funding, including a recent €600 million round in June 2025. The company’s mission is to protect liberal democracies in an increasingly volatile world by building infrastructure to secure land, air, and maritime domains across Europe.
Helsing has been making strategic acquisitions to bolster its defence ecosystem. Late last year, the company acquired Blue Ocean, a startup specialising in autonomous underwater vehicles, to enhance subsea defences through a combination of maritime hardware and artificial intelligence. Earlier in 2025, Helsing quietly acquired Keybotic, a Barcelona-based robotics startup founded in 2020, bringing agile autonomous robotics into its expanding defence portfolio.
Keybotic’s journey began in 2019 when co-founders Irene Gómez and Hilario Tomé identified a bottleneck in industrial robotics. They developed an autonomous robot designed to navigate multi-level industrial plants, which they tested and won at the prestigious DARPA Robotics Challenge. The prize money was used to perfect Keyper, a robotic dog capable of accessing all areas of a plant and reporting issues in real time. Since 2020, Keybotic has raised €3 million and delivered its first robots, evolving Keyper into a sophisticated system capable of detecting gas leaks, reading industrial tools, and sending real-time alerts. Applications for Keyper span sectors such as energy, oil and gas, and mining.
At first glance, Keybotic’s acquisition by Helsing might seem surprising, but it aligns with Helsing’s broader strategy of integrating advanced robotics into defence technology to protect critical infrastructure. This move reflects a broader trend in both the private sector and EU-wide defence strategy.
Germany and the European Union are increasingly focusing on joint defence procurement to address growing security risks. In September 2025, Germany announced plans to spend up to €83 billion on European-made weapons, aiming to reduce dependency on U.S. security policy. Complementing this national effort, the European Parliament approved the European Defence Industry Programme in November 2025, allocating a budget of €1.5 billion until 2027 to support the EU defence industry and foster joint defence procurement.
The vulnerabilities in critical European infrastructure have been starkly highlighted by recent incidents in the Baltic Sea, where undersea cables have been damaged and disrupted. Helsing’s Dr. Scherf noted that the EU’s fragmented defence structure makes member states vulnerable to such attacks. Helsing plans to use its recent funding to hire top talent and acquire complementary companies, building tech and defence infrastructure capable of countering threats from Russia.
Analysts warn that the EU can no longer rely on the U.S. as it once did, with recent political developments underscoring the need for European defence sovereignty. Through the acquisition of Keybotic, Helsing has integrated advanced robotics expertise, gaining tools to inspect and monitor crucial infrastructure, thus strengthening Europe’s broader push for technological and security sovereignty.
Keybotic’s success reflects the growing strength of Spain’s robotics industry. While Germany and France lead in robotics hardware, Spain has traditionally excelled in software, with Barcelona as a hub for top engineering universities, research institutes, and a thriving startup ecosystem. Initiatives such as 4YFN, Barcelona Tech City, and growing venture activity in deep tech highlight this momentum.
As Europe races to rearm and reduce its strategic dependence on the U.S., there is a clear drive towards continental autonomy, reflected in growing investment in both hardware and software systems. The integration of software-driven defence platforms with agile, hardware-ready robotics opens new possibilities for monitoring critical energy, industrial, and transport networks. Partnerships like the one between Helsing and Keybotic could signal a future in which homegrown innovation underpins both economic growth and Europe’s ability to safeguard key assets.