EGIDE, a French defence technology startup building affordable and scalable defence systems for modern battlefields, announced an €8 million seed round co-led by Expeditions, Eurazeo, and Heartcore Capital, with participation from Galion.exe and Kima Ventures.
Scalable Defence Against Low-Cost Drone Threats
Growing use of inexpensive drones has exposed limitations of traditional high-cost interceptors. EGIDE develops electrically-propelled interceptors combined with Mystique, a hardware-agnostic platform using distributed sensors, AI-driven detection and layered interception to counter evolving threats while reducing cost and complexity.
Technology and Team Expansion
Founded in 2025 by former MBDA engineers Simon Calonne and Florian Audigier, EGIDE focuses on addressing mass-produced drone threats. Funding will accelerate interceptor development, advance the Mystique platform and expand engineering capabilities across Europe.
Simon Calonne, Co-founder of EGIDE, said: “Low-cost drones are fundamentally transforming modern warfare. Systems designed to intercept a small number of high-value threats are now being confronted with large volumes of inexpensive and highly adaptable aerial systems.
At EGIDE we are building a new generation of scalable and affordable defence capabilities designed to meet this challenge. Our ambition is to build a European leader in mass-affordable interceptors capable of protecting forces and critical infrastructure against evolving aerial, sea and ground threats. This funding allows us to accelerate the development of our interceptors and Mystique, and build the team that will help reshape Europe’s defence architecture.”
Dr Mikołaj Firlej, Co-Founder and General Partner at Expeditions, said: “Europe is entering a decisive moment in the rebuilding of its security architecture. The rapid proliferation of low-cost drones is transforming the character of warfare, exposing critical vulnerabilities and unsustainable economics associated with legacy defence systems.
Simon, Florian and the EGIDE team are addressing this challenge by developing scalable defence capabilities built specifically for the realities of modern conflict. At Expeditions we back founders rebuilding the technological foundations of European security, and EGIDE is exactly the type of company we believe will play a defining role in that transformation.”
Thomas Turelier, Managing Director at Eurazeo, commented: “Strengthening Europe’s sovereignty and resilience is a strategic priority in today’s environment. EGIDE’s approach to cost-efficient interceptors that can be integrated across air, sea and ground missions reflect this broader dynamic. Simon, Florian and the team bring a rare depth of experience in the technologies that will be key in safeguarding Europe’s security , and we’re proud to support them as they build the next generation of defence systems.”
Jimmy Fussing Nielsen, Partner at Heartcore Capital, said: “Cheap attack drones have significantly changed the economics of warfare, overwhelming legacy defence systems and pushing Europe to find a new answer. We see a key opportunity in cost-effective, intelligent defence systems that deliver resilience across domains. Simon and Florian are exceptional founders and we look forward to supporting them as they build EGIDE to develop the affordable arsenal Europe urgently needs.”