Stark takes over Pleno: Berlin defense startup builds on autonomous drone software

According to media reports, the weapons startup Stark has acquired the Berlin-based AI startup Pleno with the goal of developing drones that can navigate independently.

German defense tech startup Stark, which specializes in autonomous combat drones, has acquired Berlin-based tech company Pleno, which produces autonomous navigation software for drones,Sifted reports .

Ngurah Linggih and Nino Lindenberg founded Pleno just two years ago. The startup develops AI agents for autonomous drones. The Pleno solution enables drones to fly without satellite positioning using purely visual navigation and uses neural networks for target acquisition.

Linggih earned his master's degree from WHU in Vallendar and, prior to founding the company, worked as a consultant at PwC, as a project manager at Zalando, and as a senior solution manager at Celonis.

After completing his military training in Germany, Lindenberg studied computer software engineering at Code University and worked as a software developer in various companies.

Stark was founded in 2024 by Florian Seibel, who previously co-founded the German drone unicorn Quantum Systems . He left Quantum Systems, among other reasons, because some of the company's investors opposed weapons development, according toSifted .

Florian Seibel is currently no longer involved in Stark's operational business, but remains a founding investor.

Stark did not confirm the acquisition to Sifted, the article states. However , according to the online magazine Militär Aktuell , Johannes Schaback, co-founder and CTO of Stark, said that Pleno was the "ideal complement for Stark – both technologically and culturally."

"We share a vision of safe and efficient automation in production systems. With Pleno, we are not only bringing leading AI expertise into the company, but also a team with focus, perseverance, and the strength to execute. We are delighted to welcome Nino to the Stark family," he is quoted as saying in the article.

It goes on to say that Stark and Pleno plan to jointly advance the development of GNSS-independent swarm technologies.

The aim is to create systems that can be deployed even without permanent radio communication. Stark's goal is to significantly strengthen the technological capabilities of NATO and European armed forces.

Recently, it was announced that Berlin-based investor Uwe Horstmann, known as co-founder of the early-stage investor Project A, would take over the CEO role at Stark, according to industry sources reported to Table Media . However, this was never confirmed by Stark or Project A.

Stark’s team is top-class:

• Johannes Schaback , formerly CTO at Home24 and SumUp, will be responsible for the technology, according to Table Media.
• Philip Lockwood , former head of NATO's innovation department, heads international business, as reported by Handelsblatt .
• According to Table Media , Johannes Arlt (SPD) will also strengthen the management team as Senior Vice President. The Air Force officer was a member of the Bundestag's Defense Committee until 2025.