Johannes Schaback

European Defense Sovereignty Starts in the Factory: Stark’s Uwe Horstmann and Johannes Schaback

Uwe Horstmann, Johannes Schaback, Pat Grady, Luciana Lixandru

Founded by Uwe and Johannes Stark, the European defense startup Stark secured billions in contracts within 18 months by applying a venture-first model to develop scalable, AI-enabled weapon systems for Ukraine and NATO forces. The company differentiates itself through a "make or break" engineering culture that integrates rapid soldier feedback loops with mass-production readiness, treating autonomous programs as internal startups rather than traditional bureaucratic projects. With plans to invest €600 million over the next three years, Stark aims to fundamentally restructure European procurement toward agile innovation while adhering to responsible AI principles to strengthen transatlantic security architecture.