Analysis

August 14, 2025

Defence tech mapped: 50+ European startups shaping the sector

Sifted mapped the startups building everything from drones to satellites

A few years ago, defence tech was relegated to the shadows of Europe’s startup ecosystem. Now, it’s exploded — and spawned dozens of young upstarts all across the continent, building everything from drones and software to satellites.

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Anne Sraders

Anne Sraders is a senior reporter at Sifted, based in Berlin. She covers the venture capital industry and deeptech startups, including robotics, spacetech and defence tech. She also writes Sifted's weekly VC newsletter Up Round. Follow her on X and LinkedIn

Jonathan Sinclair

Jonathan Sinclair is head of research at Sifted. Find him on LinkedIn

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