KASSEL, Germany– SWARM Biotactics, a pioneering developer of bio-robotic systems using living insects, has secured €10 million in seed funding to accelerate the transition of its technology from deep-tech research to field deployment. Combined with a previous €3 million pre-seed round, the company has now raised €13 million in total.
The funding round was led by a consortium of international investors, including Vertex Ventures US, Possible Ventures, and Capnamic, which also participated in the pre-seed round. Several early backers increased their investments in the oversubscribed round, signaling strong confidence in SWARM’s vision and potential.
SWARM Biotactics is developing a novel class of bio-robotic systems designed to operate in environments where traditional drones and robots cannot function effectively—such as collapsed infrastructure, politically sensitive zones, and denied or high-risk terrain. The company’s platform leverages living cockroaches equipped with lightweight “backpacks” containing sensors, neural interfaces, and secure communication modules. These swarms of bio-robots can be precisely controlled and deployed for real-time intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations.
“This decade will be defined by the ability to access, navigate, and gather intelligence in places where conventional systems fail,” said Stefan Wilhelm, CEO of SWARM Biotactics. “Our systems offer unmatched autonomy and resilience for defense, disaster response, and security missions.”
SWARM’s bio-robotic approach combines biological integration with AI, creating scalable, stealthy systems that can operate silently in terrain that is inaccessible to conventional machines. The company positions its solution as a tactical advantage in situations where persistent intelligence gathering is critical.
With the new funding, SWARM plans to:
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Launch pilot deployments with defense, national security, and emergency response agencies in Europe and North America
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Scale production of its proprietary sensor backpacks and swarm infrastructure
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Expand R&D operations and international engineering hubs
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Hire specialists in insect neurobiology, embedded artificial intelligence, and dual-use robotics
“Our goal is to build a highly adaptable intelligence platform that can meet the demands of any mission, terrain, or threat,” said Moritz Strube, CTO and co-founder. “This funding validates our approach and gives us the partners we need to scale into operational environments.”
SWARM Biotactics is part of a growing wave of dual-use technology companies developing solutions with both civilian and defense applications. By bridging the biological and robotic worlds, the company aims to redefine how intelligence is gathered in some of the world’s most challenging environments.
