Helsing Partners with Rakuten to Test AI Strike Drones for Japan's Military Build-Up

Helsing Taps Rakuten to Break Into Japan Defence Market

Munich-based Helsing, Europe's best-funded German defence-AI company, has partnered with Rakuten Group to enter Japan's arms market1

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. The unlikely collaboration pairs a defence-AI startup with an e-commerce and mobile phone conglomerate to navigate Japan's notoriously opaque procurement system2

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. Rakuten is positioning itself as a broker for foreign defence startups, having previously helped Ukrainian drone-software firm Swarmer demonstrate its technology to Japanese military units1

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Japan's Ground Self-Defence Forces Test Helsing HX-2 Strike Drone

Japan's Ground Self-Defence Forces began field trials of the Helsing HX-2 strike drone earlier this year, with tests scheduled to run through the end of September2

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. The compact AI-powered military drone features AI software that allows it to seek and identify targets without continuous data connectivity3

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. This partnership represents one of Helsing's first expansions into the Asia-Pacific region, extending the company's reach well beyond NATO markets3

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Japan's Military Build-Up Opens Doors for Foreign Weapons Makers

Japan is experiencing its biggest military spending increase in decades, driven by an increasingly assertive China and lessons from the war in Ukraine1

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. The country eased its long-standing arms-export rules earlier this year, throwing open a market that foreign weapons-makers could barely touch before1

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. Tokyo has committed to lifting defence spending toward levels not seen in the postwar era, creating a magnet for autonomous, software-led equipment that modern warfare has made essential1

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Rakuten Group Partnership Bridges Structural Barriers

Hideaki Mukai, Chief of Staff to Rakuten's CEO, explained that startups face structural barriers including complex procurement systems and difficulty reaching government agencies2

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. "Encouraging greater participation for startups in Japan's defence industry presents an important opportunity to strengthen the country's defense capabilities," Mukai said2

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. Rakuten aims to bridge these gaps by connecting startups and emerging defence technologies with government agency needs2

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. The company has also partnered with a Ukrainian government agency to develop defence technologies, while subsidiary Rakuten Mobile has participated in joint U.S.-Japan military trials of mobile technologies3

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Helsing's Rapid Rise and Battlefield Analysis Capabilities

Founded only in 2021, Helsing raised $1.8 billion in July 2026, cementing its position as Europe's best-funded defense technology startup2

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. Goldman Sachs backed the company at a valuation of $18 billion3

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. Beyond autonomous strike drones, Helsing sells AI software for battlefield analysis, underwater surveillance, and combat aircraft applications1

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. The company has become a primary supplier of drones to Ukraine with Berlin's backing, though Ukraine paused further orders of the HX-2 earlier this year after technical problems in the field1

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What Japan's Trials Mean for the Future

Japan's field trials, with another month left to run, will be watched closely as they test whether Helsing can deliver reliable battlefield weapons beyond impressive AI demos1

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. Whether the Rakuten Group partnership converts trials into contracts remains unknown, as Japan remains a cautious buyer with a long procurement memory1

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. The partnership signals how capital and engineers are pouring into anything that promises an edge in modern warfare, pulling in financiers, cloud providers, and consumer-tech names chasing a market suddenly awash with government money1

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. Rakuten shares rose as much as 3.5% in Tokyo following news of the partnership3

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