Defence Innovation Podcast Drohnen made in Germany: Florian Seibel über Quantum Systems, Krieg und Gründerwahnsinn
Dec 3, 2025
Florian Seibel, co‑founder and Co‑CEO of Quantum Systems and ex‑Bundeswehr officer with a robotics and defence background. He tells the story of pivoting from failed agri drones to defence, how smartphone components gave a tech edge, and why early defence focus mattered before 2022. They discuss leadership shaped by military service, market shifts toward Multi Domain and Counter UAS, and the need for faster industrial and procurement reform in Germany.
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Bootstrapped Agrar Failure That Forced A Defence Pivot
- Quantum started as a bootstrapped agradrone project that failed because farmers resisted complex tech and incumbents like Bayer dominated the value chain.
- Florian pivoted to VTOL drones for defence around 2020, leveraging cheap mass-market electronics (smartphone chips, Wi‑Fi modules) to outcompete big primes on cost and performance.
VTOL Plus Commodity Electronics Created A Competitive Edge
- Vertical take‑off capability removed runway constraints and became Quantum’s unique selling point for military customers.
- Combining VTOL airframes with commodity autopilots, gimbals and data links enabled rapid, low‑cost defence products.
Use Intuition Then Validate Before Big Calls
- Trust strong intuition for people and product decisions but validate by sleeping on choices and then act decisively.
- Florian pairs gut judgement on team fit with deep cross‑disciplinary technical involvement to steer roadmap choices.