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July 1, 2026

Startups and VCs divided over UK’s long-awaited defence investment plan

Some of Europe's top drone startups are eagerly awaiting more UK defence spending

Anne Sraders and Tom Nugent

4 min read

After much delay, the UK’s Defence Investment Plan (DIP) has been published, sparking both praise and criticism among some of Europe’s top drone startups and VCs. 

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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

Tom Nugent

Tom Nugent is Sifted’s managing editor. He covers robotics, chips and university spinouts. Follow him on X and LinkedIn

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