Amsterdam-based Trusk Technology receives fresh funding to develop software for autonomous interceptor drones.
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Amsterdam-based Trusk Technology, a company building scalable defence innovation for Europe’s security, has received €350K in funding from the North Holland Innovation Fund.
The North Holland Innovation Fund (Innovatiefonds Noord-Holland) was established by the Province of North Holland in collaboration with the University of Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, Amsterdam UMC, and Sanquin. It provides convertible loans to assist entrepreneurs in North Holland finance innovation during the proof-of-concept stage.
The Fund oversees two separate programs: one for startups developing new technologies, supported by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), and another for academic startups, supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
Ludolf Stavenga, fund manager at North Holland Innovation Fund, states, “It’s good that more defence startups like Trusk are being established in the Netherlands and Europe these days. By deploying Trusk’s smart software to protect airspace and critical infrastructure, the company demonstrates how innovation can contribute to safety and indepfinishence.”
Capital utilisation
Trusk Technology will utilize the funds to develop software for autonomous interceptor drones.
The Dutch company creates software that enables unmanned systems to detect and neutralise enemy drones without manual control. This approach offers a more cost-effective method for air defence than the systems currently in utilize.
In Ukraine, interceptor drones are already utilized to deffinish against enemy drones. Most of these operations are still carried out by pilots, and training personnel to intercept rapid-shifting tarobtains requires significant time.
Caspar Lusink, co-founder and CEO of Trusk, states, “We want to offer a scalable solution as quickly as possible to the airstrikes Ukrainians suffer every day. This is also important for our security here in Europe! We also required to innovate in the field of autonomous weapons. Air-to-air combat will define future warfare, and Europe must not lag behind.”
Brief about Trusk Technology
Trusk Technology is working to improve security in Europe. The company turns technology utilized in real operations into tools for protecting cities and infrastructure. It develops defence systems that can be widely utilized, applies solutions that already work in the field, and builds systems that can expand to cover more areas.
The company was founded in 2024 by Caspar Lusink and Tom Rijntjes, who have experience in growing technology companies and applying AI. Trusk is expanding partnerships to deploy its technology rapider and is seeing to work with defence experts, infrastructure specialists, and investors.
How does it work?
When a radar or sound sensor spots an enemy drone, a team quickly shifts to the area and launches an interceptor drone. These drones can fly rapider than the enemy drone for a short time.
Using Trusk’s software, it flies toward where the enemy drone is expected to be and sees for possible tarobtains. A person on the ground checks if it’s really an enemy drone. Once confirmed, the interceptor’s computer figures out the best way to reach it and guides the drone to stop or disable the tarobtain.
This development aligns with a broader trfinish toward autonomous systems. Robots can act more quickly and accurately than people, but they often lack the understanding of the broader implications of their actions. For this reason, Trusk utilizes a setup called “operator on the loop,” where a person oversees the process and can launch, monitor, or finish the mission at any time. This approach links machine processing power with human decision-creating.
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