Space Joint Venture of OHB and Helsing Bridges the Gap to Startups – Alliance for Europe’s Space Sector is Born

Seven Cooperation Agreements Signed with Space Consortium at ILA

Berlin, June 12, 2026 – A spirit of optimism in the Helsing Chalet at the ILA: Seven innovative space startups and mid-sized companies have signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the industrial consortium surrounding the joint venture KIRK (Künstliche Intelligenz undRaumfahrt-Kompetenz / Artificial Intelligence and Space Competence). In doing so, they are bringing their technologies at an early stage into one of Europe's most ambitious projects for space-based defense and reconnaissance systems.

The agreements are an important next step following the founding of the KIRK joint venture by Helsing and OHB, as well as the expanded partnership with Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace and HENSOLDT. The goal is to specifically integrate the innovative strength of the German and European New Space ecosystem, thereby accelerating the development of a technologically leading and globally competitive space industry.

At the heart of this is a clear approach: the early integration of market-ready solutions from startups and SMEs is intended to significantly increase speed, technological sovereignty, and operational performance.

Gundbert Scherf, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Helsing, says: "Our common goal is clear: Europe must win the battle for its sovereignty in orbit. To achieve this, we need experience, the brightest minds, innovative power, and agility in a collaborative partnership."

Marco Fuchs, CEO of OHB SE, says: "Anyone who wants to achieve speed and technological excellence today must consistently integrate the innovative power of startups. That is precisely what we are doing here. Together, we are creating the foundation for a strong European space ecosystem. Integrating young technology companies from the very beginning is the key to developing rapidly deployable yet highly innovative systems. This sustainably strengthens Europe's sovereignty in space."

Broad Alliance for Innovation

The signed MoUs bring together complementary competencies from the New Space sector. OHB’s cooperations have been established with ConstellR, Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA), and Marble Imaging.

Helsing's cooperations include DMI and TerraLens. Helsing and OHB Digital agreed on a collaboration with LiveEO.

Faster, More Precise, More Sovereign

By pooling established industrial partners and agile New Space companies, a powerful network is created that brings together the best available technologies. The goal is to develop solutions that are quickly ready for deployment, highly reliable, and economically efficient. The approach is clear: The "best of the best" are united under the umbrella of the consortium to decisively increase the performance of modern space-based systems. For users, this translates into concrete added value: better data, shorter response times, and higher security.

At the same time, the initiative is an important step toward a strong national and European space ecosystem. It contributes directly to the goal of establishing Germany as a leading space power within Europe.

With today’s signings, the KIRK joint venture is sending a clear signal: The future of space is being shaped by the interaction of industrial strength and entrepreneurial innovation.

Media contact: communications@helsing.ai