Donaustahl GmbH
"Deutsche Ingenieurskunst. Für Europas Sicherheit."
Bavarian defence start-up making the MAUS modular FPV loitering-munition drone, UAV warheads and combat avionics, supplied to Ukraine's Kraken unit.
Donaustahl GmbH is a German defence start-up in Hutthurm, Lower Bavaria, that develops and manufactures small combat drones, drone munitions and UAV electronics. Founder, managing director and chief designer Stefan Thumann began the business around 2019-2020 making weapon accessories such as pistol stocks. From early 2023 it moved into military supplies: protected ampoule carriers for combat medics, field kits for Starlink cables, and structural parts for fixed-wing UAVs. Demand from Ukraine for FPV quadcopters then led Donaustahl to design its own drone. The company's site describes it as building defence technology 'Made in Germany', with a focus on fast development, technological sovereignty and scalable production. It lists four capability areas: modular UAV platforms for security and defence, UAV avionics and electronics integration, weapons and effectors, and drone training.
The main product is MAUS, a modular quadcopter that can be reconfigured for observation, bombing or one-way attack. Its airframe is mostly wood. According to German Aid to Ukraine, this adds about 10% to the weight but cuts production cost by about 75%. Published figures give a payload of up to 2.7 kg, a range of about 7 km and a top speed of about 140 km/h. MAUS can carry an RPG-7-type rocket warhead against vehicles, drop NATO 40 mm grenades, or use a 'trench-cleaner' charge, and an electronic ignition system is matched to each munition's detonator. It can take infrared or thermal cameras for night use. Donaustahl has said a MAUS can fly several bombing missions before being used as a one-way FPV munition, and that the unit cost is under EUR 1,000. Donaustahl calls MAUS an adaptive loitering munition, and it is classed as a weapon of war under German law. The company has been testing AI software to recognise people, vehicles and equipment. In July 2024 Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs approved MAUS for production and export. Donaustahl named Ukraine's Kraken special-forces unit of the Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR) as its first customer. MAUS was presented at ILA Berlin 2024, and a successor model was reported as planned for 2026.
Alongside MAUS, Donaustahl offers equipment for close-range FPV warfare. This includes its own warheads and drone-dropped grenades, a munition carry kit, and a combat-electronics line that Der Spiegel described as the first FPV 'combat stacks' (core flight avionics) on the market built specifically for combat. Militarnyi has also reported that the company makes reconnaissance drones. Donaustahl staff have worked alongside Ukrainian units to collect field feedback, and the company has named counter-measures against glide bombs as a future project.
According to Table.Media and Boersen-Zeitung, the company raised about EUR 4 million from retail investors through crowdfunding in 2025, rather than from venture capital. In 2024 Thumann said an IPO was ruled out for the time being. In 2026 German media reported that Thumann had been under police protection since December 2025 over an alleged Russian intelligence plot against him. The reports linked the plot to the company's drone deliveries to Ukraine.
Primary type & automation activities this supplier delivers:
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Contact Donaustahl GmbH
WEBSITE
https://www.donaustahl.com/PHONE
+49 8505 723 88 59HEADQUARTERS
Germany
Company Facts
Founded
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Primary Role
Manufacturer
Company Size
-
Primary Region
Europe
Annual Sales
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Funding Stage
Grant / Non-profit
Funding Total
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