A German company is developing swarm robots from live cockroaches fitted with tiny “backpacks” to take on covert intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions.
Engineered by SWARM Biotactics, the cyborg insects can operate in cluttered, GPS-denied, or high-risk environments where traditional drones and robots often struggle.
The real breakthrough lies in the compact payload on their backs, enabling guided movement, real-time data collection, and encrypted short-range communication, turning each insect into a bio-robotic scout.
“We’re entering a decade where access, autonomy, and resilience define geopolitical advantage,” SWARM CEO Stefan Wilhelm said, as quoted by Reuters.
“SWARM is the first company building an entirely new category of robotics: biologically integrated, AI-enabled, and mass-deployable systems for persistent intelligence in places no drone or ground robot can reach.”
The company has reportedly raised 10 million euros ($11 million) in seed funding to move its tech from the lab to real-world deployment.
Wilhelm said the goal is to scale these systems for defense, security, and emergency missions, delivering “living intelligence” where machines alone fall short.
Part of Germany’s Defense Push
SWARM Biotactics is among the companies benefiting from Berlin’s strategic shift toward advanced military tech amid rising security threats in the region.
The country plans to nearly triple its defense budget to $175 billion by 2029 and meet NATO’s 3.5 percent GDP spending target, while new legislation aims to fast-track military procurement.
Sven Weizenegger, head of Germany’s Cyber Innovation Hub, said interest in defense tech has surged since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, noting he now receives 20 to 30 LinkedIn messages a day pitching new ideas.
That momentum is reflected in funding, with venture capital investment in German defense tech climbing from $373 million in 2022 to $1 billion in 2024. Some local companies have also reportedly secured $1.4 billion over the past five years, more than any other country in Europe.
