Eager Enterprise Companions, a number one VC agency primarily based in Amsterdam, has introduced plans to boost a €125 million fund devoted to defence and safety expertise startups in Europe from seed to Sequence B.
This fund would be the first of its type within the Benelux area and goals to turn out to be one of many largest defence tech funding funds in Europe. The objective is to help 20 to 25 startups from the seed stage to Sequence B, enabling the event of modern options to deal with urgent geopolitical and safety challenges.
“The shifting geopolitical panorama has created a vital want for Europe to turn out to be extra self-reliant in defence and safety. There’s a actual alternative to construct a stronger European defence business,” says Alexander Ribbink, companion at Eager Enterprise Companions. “We’re satisfied that entrepreneurs and enterprise capital can strongly contribute to the protection of Europe. They’re well-positioned to construct and scale the modern and cost-efficient options we want. Enterprise capital is crucial to help and gasoline entrepreneurship within the European defence business, which may have lasting advantages far past the defence sector itself.”
Eager Enterprise Companions was based in 2016, with a portfolio made up of investments in corporations like EclecticIQ, Perciv.AI, and Avalor AI. The enterprise capital agency additionally advantages from an advisory board composed of army, political, and coverage consultants, reinforcing its strategic imaginative and prescient.
The brand new fund will give attention to fostering modern, dual-purpose applied sciences in European NATO international locations, aligning intently with the European Defence Fund and NATO methods.
Europe faces mounting strategic challenges, together with the battle in Ukraine, border threats, and rising tensions with China. NATO Secretary-Common Mark Rutte has not too long ago highlighted the necessity for Europe to mentally and bodily put together for potential conflicts.
Coupled with scrutiny over defence underspending, Eager argues that these components underscore the urgency of constructing a strong, self-reliant, and sustainable European defence tech ecosystem.
The defence business is present process a major transformation, shifting from advanced, low-volume methods to options that prioritise software program, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. This evolution creates a chance for startups to steer innovation in “dual-use” applied sciences, serving each army and civilian functions.
These embrace drones and radar methods, which may additionally help catastrophe response or environmental monitoring.
Entrepreneurship and enterprise capital could be essential in constructing a scalable defence ecosystem, providing cost-effective and modern options usually ignored by bigger, extra established defence corporations. The European defence sector has skilled speedy progress, with over 100 startups exiting the market since 2017, in line with Eager.
With this new fund, Eager Enterprise Companions goals to offer the monetary backing and strategic help essential to create a stronger, extra resilient European defence ecosystem.
