German Startup, Project Q, Secures €7.5 Million for AI-Driven Battlefield Situational Awareness Platform
Munich-based startup, Project Q, recently raised €7.5 million in seed funding to accelerate the development of an open, AI-driven sensor system that integrates military and civilian infrastructures. The round was led by Project A, with additional investors including Expeditions Fund and Superangel.
Project Q aims to deliver precise, real-time situational awareness, leveraging a proprietary “Internet of Defense” (IoD) methodology that applies civilian technology to security-critical missions. Central to this effort is the Q-OSP (Open Sensor Platform), which facilitates seamless integration of sensors, data streams, and legacy systems across different domains. Ultimately, Project Q’s goal is to establish an intelligent, scalable system that outperforms traditional solutions in speed, interoperability, and cost-efficiency.
The newly raised capital will be allocated primarily to advancing development of the Q- OSP, expanding the current team from 20 to 30 employees, and launching initial pilot projects in collaboration with European security and defense authorities.
Founded in 2024 by Leonard Wessendorff and Frank Christian Sprengel, Project Q benefits from extensive management and consulting expertise. Wessendorff, after earning a law degree in Münster and working at Kekst, transitioned to Hensoldt as Public Affairs Manager before spending four years at Agora Strategy. Sprengel, who holds degrees in political science and sociology, spent seven years at Repuco prior to specializing in public sector consulting and most recently served as Head of Digitalization for the Armed Forces.
“We have never lived in a time where you had so much real-time data on the battlefield, which is not coming from conventional military systems,” Wessendorff stated. Existing solutions are “often very siloed and don’t really recognise fast developments on the battlefield. That was the beginning of Q.”
Project Q sources hardware through partners and counts the German Bundeswehr among its pilot customers, with larger contracts under discussion. The company aims to secure further projects with NATO and European forces and collaborate with defense companies. Wessendorff noted the business is profitable but declined to share figures, explaining that revenue currently comes from project-based contracts with plans to shift to a license model.
Developing battlefield software that integrates diverse data sources is not exclusive to Project Q; companies such as Helsing are also working on AI for battlefield intelligence. Wessendorff acknowledges that while Helsing and major defense contractors may be competitors, Project Q differentiates itself by integrating commercial, off-the-shelf civilian technologies and adapting them for defense applications. While the company’s current focus is on defense, Project Q eventually plans to use its platform for other applications, such as protecting critical infrastructure.
According to Uwe Horstmann, General Partner at Project A, “What Leonard and his team are building at Q represents a genuine game changer. It exemplifies how deep tech can transform complexity into actionable insights.”