US$650 million Spotify share sale funds 'military AI,' activist slams CEO Ek

SHAH ALAM – Spotify’s co-founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Daniel Ek is significantly increasing his investment in Europe’s defence ambitions, leading a nearly US$700 million funding round into Helsing, an Artificial Intelligence-powered military tech start-up, as war escalations and geopolitical tensions fuel investor interest in the global arms race.

The investment, led by Ek’s venture firm Prima Materia, also drew support from prominent investors such as Lightspeed Venture Partners, Accel, Saab and General Catalyst.

This announcement comes at a time when global conflict, from Ukraine to the genocide in Gaza, has pushed military tech into the spotlight. - AFP file photo

Helsing, founded in 2021 and operational in Germany, France and the UK, builds AI software to process battlefield data in real-time and recently expanded into drone manufacturing with its HX-2 model.

The company states this new capital will be channelled towards strengthening Europe’s technological sovereignty, particularly in critical areas like defence AI.

"As Europe rapidly strengthens its defence capabilities in response to evolving geopolitical challenges, there is an urgent need for investments in advanced technologies that ensure its strategic autonomy and security readiness,” Ek said in a statement recently.

This announcement comes at a time when global conflict, from Ukraine to the genocide in Gaza, has pushed military tech into the spotlight.

However, the decision by Spotify’s top executive to invest heavily in military AI has also reignited ethical concerns about the intersection of tech, warfare, and capitalism, especially in light of the ongoing Israeli aggression in Gaza.

Filmmaker and activist Sadia Hannan, known on social media as @naleybynature, voiced serious concern over Ek’s investment in Helsing, drawing connections between tech funding and the humanitarian crisis in Palestine.

"Something really disturbing is happening at Spotify and I want to talk about it. I used to work at Spotify when it was still a small start-up.

"It was exciting back then, the platform was creating space for artists around the world. But the way it has grown has been violent and insidious," she said in a video uploaded to her Instagram.

Hannan pointed out that Ek has sold nearly US$650 million worth of Spotify shares to fund what she called 'military AI', referring to Helsing.

Her criticism extends beyond Ek, citing a UN report by Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese that named several global tech companies, including IBM, Microsoft, Amazon and Palantir, as aiding Israel’s military operations in Gaza.

“These tech companies are not just testing their toys on Palestinians. They're killing Palestinians. And what's even worse is that they're profiting off of it.

"Military AI is big money. What we allow them to do to Palestinians is ultimately what we allow them to do to us," she said.

She also added that Spotify’s largest institutional shareholders, BlackRock and Vanguard, are among the biggest global backers of companies profiting from the arms industry, including those supporting Israel’s military.