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May 8, 2026

Missile startups are ‘the new wave’ in European defence

Europe’s need for increased missile capabilities is spurring a new set of startups, VCs say


Anne Sraders

5 min read

Hypersonica missile. Photo credit: Nick Frank/Hypersonica's website

As war wages on in Ukraine and Iran, and relations between Europe and the US grow more precarious, investors and founders have become increasingly aware of what Europe lacks to protect itself. 

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Anne Sraders

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

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