The European defense tech company Stark has announced the acquisition of the Berlin-based technology company Pleno. Pleno is considered a pioneer in the field of autonomous flight control for cost-effective drones – and is set to significantly expand Stark’s expertise in the areas of autonomy, swarm behavior and precise targeting.
The start-up was founded in August 2023 by Nino Lindenberg and Ngurah Linggih and developed navigation software for drones that can operate reliably even without GNSS reception. Pleno has already won several awards, including first place in the Dronetech Challenge organized by Bitkom and the Cyber Innovation Hub of the German Armed Forces during the Berlin Security Conference 2024.
The young company gained international attention when it won the title “Autonomous Hero” at the world’s largest autonomy event XPonential in Houston (USA).
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“With the Pleno Sim and Pleno Lab simulation and development tools, the company is contributing highly developed tools for AI-controlled flight autonomy, swarm behavior and simulation,” according to a recent Stark press release. “Technologies that will flow directly into Stark’s projects on loitering munitions and autonomous drone swarms, for example as part of the Virtus (OWE-V) platform.”
Pleno as a suitable addition
“Pleno is the ideal addition to Stark – both technologically and culturally,” says Johannes Schaback, co-founder and CTO of STARK. “We are united by the vision of safe and efficient automation in active systems. With Pleno, we are not only bringing leading AI expertise in-house, but also a team with focus, perseverance and implementation strength. We are delighted to welcome Nino to the Stark family.”
Nino Lindenberg, who himself completed military training in Germany, built the first functional prototype of Pleno in close cooperation with a Ukrainian AI module manufacturer (-> Latest news from the war in Ukraine) and accumulated over 300 flight hours with his autonomous system in 2024.
“The merger with Stark enables us to scale faster, develop deeper and make an impact where it counts,” says Lindenberg. “Especially in the defense sector, AI-driven autonomous systems are the key to scalable, safe and precise effectiveness – in scenarios where manpower is scarce and requirements for resilience and impact are high.”
Autonomy without GNSS or radio connection
Stark and Pleno want to take the next steps together towards GNSS-independent swarm intelligence – with systems that can also work without a constant radio link. Modern conflicts require an ever-increasing degree of automation. Stark’s declared goal: to further develop the technological capabilities of NATO and European armed forces.
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