Munich Startup Arcos Raises $6M to Guard Europe's Critical Infrastructure

Jan de Vries · 2026-09-18

Imagine a world where power grids, water systems, and data centers are constantly watched by smart sensors that never sleep. That's the future Arcos is building. The Munich-based startup just raised €5.5 million (about $6 million) in seed funding to scale its civil security infrastructure across Europe. The round was led by High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF), with backing from Bayern Kapital, Pact, Haufe, Robin Capital, and several strategic angels. Arcos launched publicly today, and it's already making waves. ### Why Europe Needs a Watchful Eye Europe has realized that its safety is its own responsibility. That includes the infrastructure we rely on every day: power, transport, water, data. "We started Arcos a year ago because nobody was building the company that keeps watch over it," says Moritz Steigerwald, founder and managing director. "This round lets us grow the team in Germany, extend the platform, and take our first steps into critical infrastructure, then into further European markets." ### The Problem: More Sensors, Fewer People The security industry is shifting. Sensors are being deployed at an unprecedented scale—in homes, commercial buildings, train stations, substations, and data centers. But with fewer staff available, who's watching? Sensors detect that something is happening, but what matters is how quickly and reliably that turns into action. Arcos points to attacks on substations, burning cable ducts along railway lines, and drone attacks over airports and industrial sites. These attacks succeed because no one is watching continuously. A structural shift at this pace can only be managed with new technology. > "This industry helps decide whether the country functions, and it is changing faster than ever before. More sensors, fewer people. What is missing is someone who looks. That is exactly what we are building." – Louis Wübben, co-founder and managing director. ### A Full-Service Approach Arcos builds and operates the entire infrastructure from start to finish. It understands every signal from every connected source. Every decision is made in one place, every incident is handled through to closure, and every step is documented. When escalations happen, humans step in to make judgment calls. What sets Arcos apart? They don't outsource anything. "Whoever operates a control centre themselves knows what really happens at three in the morning. Whoever builds the software for it themselves changes it the next morning," the company explains. Users, operators, and developers are the same people. So the system improves with every new sensor instead of getting more complicated with every extension. The same control centre, software, and processes serve all infrastructure—whether it's a home, a commercial property, a construction site, or a critical facility. What applies to one site applies to all. ### What's Next for Arcos? The new capital will be used to expand the team in Germany, extend the platform, and prepare for scaling in the critical infrastructure market. Next up: entering further European markets. Arcos is positioning itself as the missing piece in Europe's security puzzle. With more sensors and fewer people, someone needs to watch. Arcos is building that someone—and it's doing it all in-house.