The investor in the field of European defense technology gets an increase with continued geopolitical tensions

Digest opened free editor

Rola Khaleda, FT editor, chooses her favorite stories in this weekly newsletter.

One of the largest investment capital companies in Europe, which focused on defense technology, has collected more than 100 million euros towards its second fund, as investors continue to pour money in the emerging sector since the Russian war in Ukraine.

The missions, which were founded in 2021 to invest in startups, said the fund was on the right path to close at 150 million euros by the end of the year, and was supporting European family investors and offices, as well as institutional investors. The first fund collected approximately 15 million euros.

The collection of donations for the company, which is based in the Warsaw company, shows an investor’s appetite for emerging companies in the field of European defense technology after more than three years of the full range of Russia. Ukraine invasionAnd since US President Donald Trump prompted the continent to take more responsibility for its security.

“Europe had no time or awaiting side lines”, given the increasing geopolitical tensions.

He said that a letter that the US Vice President JD Vance at the Munich Security Conference this year led to a “tremendous change” between investors ready to support European security and defense technology companies, amid concern about America’s commitment to Pal Europe’s defense It was a threat.

“The Munich conference was a larger operator of the war in Ukraine,” Verlig said, adding that there was also a transformation in the “quality of funders from the original Europe” ready to support the sector.

Investors responded to geopolitical tensions and the possibility of higher defense spending by pouring 1.4 billion euros into emerging companies in defense technology in Europe in the first seven months of this year. Since Russia has been widely invaded to Ukraine in February 2022, companies 2.4 billion euros raisedUp from 30 million euros in 2020 and 150 million euros in 2021.

It was launched in 2021 by Firlej and its co -founder, Stanislaw Kastory, and Experedes was one of the first European companies to invest in early companies that focus especially on defense and security.

Supporting the first fund for many startups, including Alpine Eagle, while the second group invested in seven companies in the early stage, such as Endurai Estonian emerging.

Verlig said he welcomed the role that the American capital could play in supporting European funds, even stressed the European self -reliance.

“We must have flexible funding by Europeans for European companies, but if we can have strong relationships with American players. This is the right approach.”

He rejected fears that the last rush of money in defensive startups could cause a bubble, although some areas, such as those of military drones, were “slightly separate”.

He said that this sector was at an early stage and the assessments were “much smaller” for those in well -known contractors such as Rheinmetall, which has a 90 billion euros market.

“We can expect 2 billion euros of invested capital by the end of this year. So changing the step, but the number is still very small because the starting point was almost zero.”