German AI food service business Circus Group has hired Sasha Borovik as general counsel ahead of the company’s push into the defence industry.

Borovik joins from defence business Helsing, where he was GC and compliance director. He brings more than two decades of legal experience across tech, defence and AI matters, as well as regulation, contracting and IP protection. At Circus, Borovik will provide guidance on commercial agreements, institutional partnerships and regulatory strategy.

Munich-based Circus develops AI software and robotics for the food service industry, including its CA-1 cooking robot. Borovik’s arrival comes head of Circus’s launch of its CA-M autonomous meal supply system designed for the defence industry to feed military members on base and in the field.

Nikolas Bullwinkel, CEO and founder of Circus, said: “Sasha brings a rare combination of legal excellence, deal-making experience and deep domain knowledge in defence and AI. As we expand negotiations with multiple NATO-aligned forces and scale internationally, his leadership will be instrumental in building robust, long-term partnerships.”

Borovik arrives after three years at Helsing, where he helped build the legal function and support its fundraising efforts. He previously spent almost four years at ProofSpace, which he founded in 2018. He also had earlier in-house roles at Akamai Technologies (as lead counsel for EMEA) and Microsoft (as director of legal affairs). He started his career in private practice at Cooley Godward.

He said: “Joining Circus is an opportunity to shape the strategic and legal backbone of a company that’s redefining autonomy at scale. With the CA-M and a growing international footprint, Circus is stepping into domains where legal rigour and regulatory foresight are not just an asset – they’re mission-critical.”

Last month, Circus acquired agentic AI business FullyAI, while in November last year it announced plans to buy AI software provider Campo. YPOG and Heuking were legal advisors on the latter deal.

In other AI-related moves, in March AI software business Nintex hired Sarah Visbeek as GC from Limeade, and in February, AI platform Inflection hired former Withers partner Doug Mandell as its first GC.

Meanwhile in defence-related moves, in December US defence giant Lockheed Martin hired Kevin O’Connor as its next GC from refrigeration and air conditioning business Carrier.