Destinus has completed its acquisition of Daedalean, the Swiss artificial intelligence aviation specialist, in a transaction valued at approximately US$225 million.
The deal, first announced in August 2025, will see the Zurich, Switzerland-based company become a core hub for aerospace AI engineering, autonomy research, and advanced perception technologies within Destinus, which is headquartered in the Netherlands.
Daedalean will continue developing AI systems for civilian aviation, including safety-critical autonomy, pilot assistance, and navigation systems. In addition, Destinus said the acquisition will accelerate its deployment of defense-focused AI applications. These include navigation for global navigation satellite system-denied (GNSS-denied) environments, advanced perception and seeker technologies for interceptors and cruise missiles, and mission planning for high-speed defense platforms.
Founded in 2016, Daedalean employs more than 150 specialists, including 13 PhDs with expertise in AI, machine learning, and avionics. The company was established by former Google and SpaceX engineers and develops certified, safety-critical perception and autonomy technologies for manned and unmanned aviation.
Several leadership appointments accompany the completed transaction. Bas Gouverneur, formerly CEO of Daedalean, becomes chief military program officer at Destinus, overseeing military programs, advanced autonomy strategy, and integration of Daedalean’s AI stack into defense platforms.
Yvonne Gross, previously vice president of finance and operations at Daedalean, joins as director of operations and infrastructure. The company has also appointed Brontë Hamilton as chief financial officer to oversee financial strategy during its expansion.
“Finalizing this acquisition marks an important milestone for Destinus and for Europe’s ability to build sovereign, high-performance AI systems for both defense and civil aviation,” said Mikhail Kokorich, founder and CEO of Destinus.
Destinus, founded in 2021, employs more than 500 people and maintains operations in Germany, Switzerland, France, the UK, Spain, and Ukraine. Earlier in 2025, the company acquired Netherlands-based Aerialtronics, which specializes in multicopter UAV platforms.
