Stendr announced it has raised $5.4 million in a pre-seed round, one of the largest early-stage financings in Nordic defense technology, as the company builds an AI-native platform for modern warfare systems. The round includes backing from Rainfall Ventures, ACME Capital, Skyfall Ventures, Sisyphus Ventures, Antler, and Startuplab, along with a group of angel investors.
Founded by Aleksander Leonard Larsen, co-founder of Sky Mavis, Stendr is focused on developing a foundational technology stack for a new generation of Nordic defense systems. The platform combines software, AI, and hardware to enable rapid development and deployment of defense capabilities designed for evolving battlefield conditions.
The company is initially targeting one of the most urgent challenges in modern warfare: the rise of drones and the gap in Europe’s detection and response capabilities. Stendr aims to build sovereign technology solutions to address this imbalance, positioning itself at the intersection of AI, defense infrastructure, and real-time operational systems.
Headquartered in Norway, Stendr is leveraging the region’s engineering talent and strategic defense priorities to build a long-term platform for European security. The founding team includes Robin Alexander Holm Pedersen and Markus Leonhard Hansen, bringing combined expertise across software, AI, and hardware systems.
The company is also actively hiring across key technical and operational roles as it scales its platform and expands development efforts.
Stendr’s launch reflects a broader shift toward AI-native defense infrastructure in Europe, where geopolitical dynamics and emerging technologies are driving demand for faster, more adaptive systems.
