Analysis

February 4, 2026

Salaries soar ‘astronomically’ as defence techs fight for talent

Defence startups are under pressure to woo talent amid a supply-constrained market


Anne Sraders

5 min read

Stark drone

Recruiters report that salaries for coveted positions in Europe’s defence tech startups are going through the roof in the last 12 months as startups are battling it out for a limited talent pool. 

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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

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