CDDS secures seed capital for further development steps
Defense startup CDDS (Counter Defense Drone Systems) has secured Swisscom Ventures as an investor in a seed funding round. With the fresh capital, the startup founded in 2025 plans to further develop its autonomous, kinetic interceptor drones and expand its team.
Critical facilities such as airports and energy infrastructure are facing an increasing threat from small drones which are becoming more accessible and harder to detect. The Zurich-based startup CDDS builds autonomous, kinetic interceptor drones that can detect, track, and physically neutralize such airborne threats with unmatched precision.
Now, the defense startup has received fresh capital in a seed round from Swisscom Ventures. “With Swisscom Ventures, we have gained a strong partner who shares our vision of protecting people around the world,” says Christoph Bertschi, co-founder of CDDS. This round will fund further product development, validation activities, and team growth across engineering and operations.
“Small, highly dynamic drones represent one of the fastest-growing security gaps we see today,” said Alexander Schlaepfer, Investment Partner at Swisscom Ventures. “What convinced us is not only the technical approach, but the economics behind it. CDDS enables a level of cost efficiency that makes this type of protection scalable, which is ultimately what drives real-world adoption.”
The CDDS system, which consists of an interceptor drone with integrated software for interception calculations, is designed as a single-use system for both military and civilian use. Not only does CDDS ensure the development of high-performance autonomous interceptor drones, it also ensures their local mass production: The startup manufactures drones with integrated chips and sensors in Switzerland and as well as through its subsidiary in Norway and with local manufacturers in other countries.
(press release / FR)
Picture: CDDS drone system; ZVG
