German defence start-up Helsing could be valued at $4.5 billion, reports FT

(Reuters) - Helsing, a German AI start-up active in the defence sector, aims to raise almost $500 million from Silicon Valley investors including Accel and Lightspeed Venture Partners, the Financial Times reported on Thursday.

The financing round would result in a valuation of around $4.5 billion, according to the report. That would be a tripling of the company's valuation in less than a year, added the FT.

A Helsing spokesperson declined to comment to Reuters.

According to the FT, Accel did not immediately return a request for comment while Lightspeed declined to comment.

The Munich-based company was recently chosen by the German defence ministry to implement artificial intelligence tools in the country's Eurofighter jets.

The company is the latest to benefit from a ramp-up in defence investment amid rising geopolitical tensions in the region.

(Reporting by Paolo Laudani, Ludwig Burger and Myria Mildenberger; Editing by Miranda Murray)