Harmattan AI raises $200 million Series B led by Dassault Aviation

French defense technology company Harmattan AI has raised a $200 million Series B round—the second stage of venture capital financing—led by Dassault Aviation. The funding round values the company, which was founded in 2024, at $1.4 billion. This valuation establishes Harmattan AI as a defense unicorn within less than two years of its founding, following its expansion in the European defense sector.

The partnership with Dassault Aviation, the maker of the Rafale (a French fighter jet), aims to integrate AI into defense aircraft. Harmattan AI builds autonomy and mission-system software for these platforms, focusing on developing embedded AI capabilities that are both sovereign and scalable. According to Mouad M’Ghari, CEO and co-founder, the company is entering a new phase of scale as it seeks to ramp up manufacturing.

The company is expanding its U.S. team and plans to exhibit at the World Defense Show in Riyadh next month. This expansion follows a multi-million-U.S. dollar contract awarded by a NATO government in July for the delivery of AI-enabled small drones. To support NATO and European defense needs, Harmattan AI recently partnered with Ukrainian drone maker Skyeton. The new capital will help the company extend its product offering into new domains and scale manufacturing of its platforms for drone interception, electronic warfare, and ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance).

Prior to the Series B round, Harmattan AI had raised $42 million. The company’s investment history includes:

• Seed Round: Led by Atlantic.
• Series A: Led by FirstMark.
• Series B: $200 million led by Dassault Aviation.
• Other Backers: Motier Ventures and Sisyphus Ventures.

French President Emmanuel Macron praised the announcement, describing it as excellent news for France’s strategic autonomy, the technological superiority of its armed forces in AI-activated defense drones, and the economy. Meanwhile, CTO and co-founder Martin de Gourcuff highlighted the geopolitical context of the company’s mission. “As the international order goes off the rails, we are entering an era where, increasingly, power precedes law. A reversal of the civilized world we strive for. Harmattan AI exists to protect our values and flip that relationship back, as power without law is just mere violence,” de Gourcuff wrote.

Why it matters

The partnership between an aerospace incumbent and an AI startup signals a shift toward integrating sovereign and scalable AI into defense hardware, marking Harmattan AI’s emergence in the European defense tech landscape.