Destinus Raises €50M to Scale Operations

Dutch aerospace and defence tech company Destinus has secured a €50 million credit facility from Commerzbank. This marks the company’s first financing from a commercial bank and represents an important milestone in its industrial development. The funds will be used to expand production capacity and support the serial manufacturing of unmanned aerial systems across Europe.

The new facility complements €140 million raised through convertible instruments and shareholder loans, as well as more than €200 million in equity capital. In total, Destinus has now raised nearly €400 million.

From Hypersonic Flight to Autonomous Systems

Founded in 2021, Destinus was launched with an ambitious vision: to develop hydrogen-powered hypersonic aircraft capable of flying from Europe to Australia in approximately four hours. Early experimental aircraft, including the Jungfrau and Eiger demonstrators, validated the company’s aerodynamic and propulsion concepts.

Over the past two years, however, Destinus has shifted its focus toward near-term, market-ready dual-use technologies. Its current portfolio includes unmanned platforms LORD, RUTA, and Hornet, designed for surveillance, mapping, rapid response, and defence applications. This strategic pivot was reinforced by the 2025 acquisition of Daedalean, a leader in AI avionics, strengthening Destinus’ position as a developer of autonomous, AI-enabled systems.

Why It Matters

Today, Destinus employs around 750 engineers and specialists across Europe and continues to strengthen its role within the European defence industrial ecosystem. By combining AI-driven engineering, vertical integration, and serial production, the company is moving toward industrial-scale production или large-scale manufacturing. For Raison investors, with Destinus as a portfolio company, this latest funding round signals the transition to the next growth phase — from technology development to large-scale industrial manufacturing.