# Defence tech

UVC Partners raises €77m first close of new growth fund in ‘move into multi-stage investing’

The VC is planning to launch more, and larger, funds in the future

Middle East investors will remain ‘important’ source of capital, says top European LP

Iran war underscores the ‘urgency’ for Europe to build its defence capabilities, VCs say

“Iran, Israel and the US are using military technology that are still R&D-ing Series A startups in Europe,” says one VC

‘We can’t build it all ourselves’: Saab opens up to defence tech startups

Saab’s CTO on peace-time defence tech, increased budgets and its startup strategy to fill the prime’s capability gaps

Inside the Nordic defence tech spending spree: Record startup funding meets big prime partnerships

Four years into the Ukraine war, Nordic defence forces and primes are increasingly collaborating with startups

NATO tech accelerator's search for new chief drags on, sparking complaints

The accelerator has had three different managing directors in the last year

Air defence startups Frankenburg and Tytan raise €30m each from Plural, NATO Innovation Fund

Anti-drone startups announce funding rounds on fourth anniversary of Russian invasion of Ukraine

Quantum Systems founder sold stake in ARX Robotics prior to launch of similar product

The incident reveals a tangled web of investors and rivals in the new defence tech ecosystem

Insiders report ‘very anti-US vibe’ at Europe’s top defence conference

VC attendees say the Munich Security Conference ‘felt like Slush’

Drone startup Stark 'reaches unicorn valuation' following German armed forces deal

The contract is worth €2.4bn, according to a source close to the company

Defence ‘top of the agenda’ for Denmark’s sovereign LP fund

Denmark’s sovereign fund EIFO is one of Europe’s most active LPs

The VCs that could run the EU’s €5bn Scaleup Europe Fund

The European Innovation Council is looking for investors who’ve managed at least €500m and two funds

UK defence prime BAE Systems launches incubator, ‘actively looking’ into VC fund investing

The company says it welcomes competition with Europe’s new defence startups and is eyeing VC fund investing

Salaries soar ‘astronomically’ as defence techs fight for talent

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

The European defence techs working with governments in 2026

Defence startups have been winning contracts and wooing governments as billions flow into the sector

EIF eyeing ‘more ambitious’ defence investing programme as it doubles down on military tech

The fund is the largest backer of European VCs and has increasingly focused on investing in defence

Why European defence startups find France ‘almost impossible’ to work with

While structural challenges remain, some founders see indications of change in France

12 early-stage Finnish startups to watch, according to investors

Sifted asked local investors to share promising startups in the country right now

European defence founders and VCs weigh in on Trump’s Greenland threats: ‘A serious distraction’

Some VCs believe the US's aggression could benefit pure-play defence startups

German growth investor DTCP raises €300m for new defence fund — which it hopes will be Europe’s largest

The firm is targeting a final close of €500m

General Catalyst’s policy chief: EU Inc is biggest concern for startups

The General Catalyst Institute has been lobbying and working with EU policymakers on the top issues of 2026

French drone maker Harmattan AI raises $200m Series B at $1.4bn valuation

The fundraise was led by French aerospace manufacturer Dassault Aviation

15+ predictions for European defence in 2026

From defence tech funding hitting $3bn to a new frontline in space, VCs share their top predictions for the sector

The 13 events that shaped European deeptech in 2025

Deeptech was one of the fastest-growing sectors in Europe this year. Sifted rounded up the news that defined the industry in 2025