Reconnaissance Drone Swarms

HIGHCAT (PROTOTYPE Capital portfolio) builds reconnaissance drone systems designed for military intelligence gathering. The drones are small, fast, and operate in coordinated formations — combining the coverage of multiple platforms with the autonomy to operate without continuous human control.

The Ukraine conflict demonstrated that small drone swarms are reshaping modern warfare: inexpensive, expendable drones can provide persistent surveillance and targeting across a battlefront that would require billions in traditional reconnaissance aircraft. HIGHCAT's systems are designed for this new reality — not the expensive, exquisite drones of the pre-2022 era, but affordable, producible-at-scale platforms.

Europe's drone industry is bifurcating: large platforms (Airbus Eurodrone) for strategic missions and small autonomous swarms (HIGHCAT, Quantum Systems, Tekever from Portugal) for tactical operations. The small drone segment is where European startups can compete — production speed, autonomy software, and electronic warfare resistance matter more than airframe size. NATO's demand signal for drone capabilities is driving rapid growth across the sector.