Destinus acquires Delft radar AI startup Perciv AI to bring perception in-house
Perciv AI becomes Destinus' centre for radar perception, with its founders staying on. It is the group's third acquisition in the Netherlands.
Destinus, the Netherlands-based developer of drones and autonomous defence systems, has completed the acquisition of Perciv AI, a Delft-based developer of AI radar perception software, the companies announced on 21 October 2026. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Perciv AI will become Destinus' centre for radar perception, and its founding team will continue to lead the business, Aviation Week and Resilience Media also reported.
What Perciv AI does
Perciv AI develops neural-network models that process radar data to detect and track objects, including targets with a low radar cross section, meaning objects that are hard for radar to see. Its software also supports radar-based navigation when satellite positioning (GNSS) is unavailable or degraded, for example because of jamming.
The company was founded by Andras Palffy, Balazs Szekeres and Srimannarayana Baratam, all alumni of TU Delft. According to Perciv AI, it raised a €2.5 million seed round in December 2024 led by DayOne Capital and Keen Venture Partners, joined by Vinci Venture Capital. At that time it was pitching its radar and radar-camera fusion technology as a lower-cost alternative to lidar for automotive, robotics and aerospace.
Aviation Week reports that Perciv AI was already working with Destinus before the deal, including on counter-drone detection algorithms and collision avoidance.
Why Destinus wants it
The deal is about vertical integration, meaning owning more of the technology stack instead of buying it from suppliers. Destinus already owns Daedalean, which provides optical perception and GNSS-denied navigation, and it is developing advanced radar seeker technology in a joint venture with the Dutch research organisation TNO. Perciv AI adds radar perception and detection, so the group can combine optical and radar sensing more closely across its systems. Owning the perception layer also means Destinus no longer depends on an outside supplier for a component that sits at the heart of how its systems detect and avoid objects.
"Radar perception needs to be developed as part of the complete system," said Mikhail Kokorich, founder and CEO of Destinus, in the announcement. "Bringing Perciv AI into Destinus gives us control over a critical technology and brings its engineers directly into the development of our products."
Perciv AI co-founder Andras Palffy said the past year of work with Destinus "showed the value of connecting perception research directly to system development", and that joining the group gives the team the scale to grow in Delft.
Destinus' Dutch build-out
The transaction is Destinus' third acquisition in the Netherlands, after it bought assets from OPRA in 2023 and acquired Aerialtronics in 2025. The company says it continues its investment in Dutch engineering and industrial capabilities by adding a specialist radar team in Delft.
What it means for European founders and investors
Europe's defence and dual-use technology sector is consolidating, and this deal shows how. Larger platform companies are buying small, specialised software teams rather than licensing their technology. For a seed-funded startup like Perciv AI, a strategic buyer that was already a customer can be a natural exit, even when the price is not public.
There is also a lesson about markets. Perciv AI started out talking about cars, robots and aerospace. Its exit came through defence, where demand for perception that works without satellite navigation has grown fast. Founders building sensing or autonomy technology should think early about which customers will value it most, and about how a partnership with a bigger player can turn into an acquisition.
For investors, the deal fits a wider pattern of defence-related activity on the continent, from Portuguese drone maker Beyond Vision's €28m round to the growing number of physical AI startups such as Enact Intelligence. Because Destinus did not disclose terms, the size of the return for Perciv AI's backers is not known.
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