The funding will accelerate deployment of BlinkTroll’s autonomous training systems, developed by former soldiers to enhance the combat readiness of NATO forces and save lives on the front lines of the free world.

BlinkTroll, the defence startup redefining firearms training with autonomous moving targets, has secured €1.5 million in pre-seed funding. The round included backing from a private Norwegian family office with over 25 years of experience investing in early-stage startups, as well as from the Nordic space and defence VC fund Final Frontier, which was raised exclusively with capital from visionary angels and defence leaders, including former NATO Secretary General and Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

The new capital will enable BlinkTroll to scale production, accelerate product development, and expand its reach across European defence forces, bringing advanced, soldier-designed training technology to the front lines.

Backed by solid Nordic investors, BlinkTroll is entering a strategic partnership grounded in a shared vision for the future of European defence. The collaboration is driven by a mutual commitment to strengthening NATO allies and supporting Ukraine through accessible, high-impact training technology designed to meet the demands of modern defence operations.

Esben Gadsbøll, head of Defence Highway Innovation and Danish Tech Startups, comments, “It’s inspiring to see Nordic defence startups like BlinkTroll develop technology that directly supports those on the front lines. This is exactly the kind of founder-driven innovation European defence needs, combining deep operational insight with the speed and focus we now see coming out of Ukraine.”

Founded in 2022 by two former Norwegian soldiers, BlinkTroll was born out of firsthand experience. Having served in the Norwegian Armed Forces, the founders witnessed critical gaps in existing training systems. Their goal was clear: create a better, simpler, and more accessible way for soldiers to prepare for the realities of combat.

“Our product is made by soldiers, for soldiers,” said Kenneth Skorpen, CEO and Founder of BlinkTroll. “We designed BlinkTroll to help our former coworkers — the people still serving on the front lines. Simplicity and realism were our top priorities. This is about democratizing access to high-quality, effective training across the defence sector.”

BlinkTroll’s autonomous, wire-based target systems simulate agile, unpredictable threats to create a more realistic and adaptive training environment. By moving beyond static targets, the system helps soldiers prepare for real-life combat scenarios, increasing their hit accuracy to 80% on high-speed moving targets and significantly enhancing their effectiveness against real-world threats.*

With this new funding, BlinkTroll will scale production, advance its product roadmap, and expand deployment across European defence forces.

“This investment allows us to scale faster and build the future of dynamic defence training,” Øystein Hatlestad Hovland, COO and co-founder, added. “BlinkTroll is not just a robot — it's a new standard in combat readiness and the first step in creating a full ecosystem of defence technology built for protecting the free world.”

About BlinkTroll
Born in Norway and raised in Odense, Denmark, BlinkTroll Robotics is a Norwegian-Danish defence startup pioneering autonomous moving target systems. Backed by the Odense Robotics Startup Fund & Incubator at Danish Technological Institute (DTI), the company’s mission is to support and protect those on the front lines by transforming how soldiers train for modern combat.

About Final Frontier
Final Frontier is a Danish venture capital fund that invests in European startups specialising in space and defence technologies to strengthen the commercial development of space and increase the innovative power of the European defence industry. The fund was founded in 2024 by Niels Vejrup Carlsen, who before Final Frontier was General Partner at SEED Capital and has held board positions in prominent Danish startups such as Trustpilot, Vivino, Lunar and Dixa.

*Data based on research from a live-fire exercise in Europe, measuring hit accuracy improvements in both trained and untrained soldiers after using the BlinkTroll system.

Contact

BlinkTroll
Øystein Hatlestad Hoveland @ Co-founder, COO
oystein@blinktroll.com
www.blinktroll.com

Final Frontier
Martin Majercin @ Founding Member, Platform
media@finalfrontier.vc
www.finalfrontier.vc