Destinus completes acquisition of Daedalean, accelerating next-generation AI for defense and civil aviation

Destinus Group BV has completed the acquisition of Daedalean AG, the Zürich-based leader in advanced AI systems for aviation, in a transaction valued at CHF 180 million (approximately USD 225 million).

Transaction Details
- Acquisition valued at CHF 180 million (≈ USD 225 million).
- Daedalean will operate as a core AI hub within Destinus.

Technology & Capabilities
Civil Aviation:
- Safety-critical autonomy and pilot assistance.
- Next-gen navigation and perception systems.

Defense Applications:
- GNSS-denied navigation for contested environments.
- Advanced seeker technologies for interceptors, cruise missiles, and one-way effectors.
- Mission planning and autonomous decision-making for high-speed defense platforms.
- Swarming and multi-agent coordination for unmanned systems.
- Sensor fusion with onboard AI reasoning for resilient battlefield operations.

Leadership Changes
- Bas Gouverneur (ex-CEO of Daedalean) → Chief Military Program Officer at Destinus.
- Yvonne Gross (ex-VP Finance & Ops at Daedalean) → Director of Operations & Infrastructure.
- Brontë Hamilton → New CFO of Destinus.

Strategic Impact
- Strengthens sovereign European AI capabilities in defense and civil aviation.
- Reinforces Destinus’ model of vertically integrated, industrial-scale defense production.
- Supports modernization of civil aviation while scaling defense systems.

Mikhail Kokorich, Founder & CEO of Destinus, emphasized that this acquisition accelerates deployment of next-gen autonomous systems across both defense and civilian platforms.