Germany to Fund Production of 500 An-196 Liutyi Long-Range Drones

July 11

On July 1, 2025, it was announced that Germany will fund the production of 500 An-196 Liutyi long-range drones for Ukraine through a new contract.

Stockholm-based defence technology startup Nordic Air Defence (NAD) has raised $3 million funding led by Inflection

July 10

Stockholm-based defence technology startup Nordic Air Defence (NAD) has raised an additional $3 million in a pre-seed funding round led by VC firm Inflection, bringing the total raised to $4.4 million. The company develops drone defence systems aimed at reducing European reliance on foreign suppliers

Electronics manufacturer Jotel to participate in surveillance drone production

July 10

Jotel, an electronics manufacturing company operating in Estonia and Finland, will begin to participate in the production of state-of-the-art surveillance drones on a large scale. Jotel also joined the Estonian Defence and Space Industry Association

Defense startup fund DarkStar receives first investment from SmartCap

July 10

The state-owned fund management company SmartCap's Defense Fund invested 10 million euros in Estonia's first defense technology venture capital fund, Darkstar, which focuses on companies developing military and dual-use technologies whose products have been tested on the Ukrainian battlefield.

Ukrainian dual-use companies are now eligible for EU funding

June 30

Ukrainian dual-use companies are now eligible for EU funding of €300–500K.

Ukraine to Begin Military Tech Exports in Europe: Zelensky

June 30

Ukraine is set to export its battle-tested weapons — particularly drones, missiles, and possibly artillery — to European allies and enable local production. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the launch of the “Build with Ukraine” program, where Kyiv will sign agreements this summer to open defense production lines in European partner countries and provide access to domestically made technologies.

EUDIS Connecting Defence Innovators, Investors & Industry Leaders in Europe

June 30

EUDIS Matchmaking connects Defence Innovators, Investors, Corporates, and End-Users across Europe through structured, high-value networking—both online and in-person. The programme strengthens the European defence innovation ecosystem by improving access to funding, accelerating industry growth, and providing market insights.

Ukraine Set to Become a Global Defense Tech Exporter & Partner in European Security

June 27

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced that Ukraine starts exporting cutting-edge military technologies and launching joint weapons production abroad with EU and NATO partners

The Estonian defense industry more than doubled its exports

June 25

The Estonian defense industry more than doubled its exports and the turnover increased by over 30% in a year, reaching half a billion euros last year, the Estonian Defense and Space Industry Association (EKTL) announced

France asked five local drone companies to develop a medium-altitude long-endurance drones

June 21

France asked five local drone companies to develop demonstrators for a medium-altitude, long-endurance drone, signing contracts at the Paris Air Show seeking a low-cost solution in unmanned aerial surveillance and light attack

Estonia's Rising Stars: Defence Startups You Need to Know

June 20

Nine finalists of the Defence Business Lab 2025 -- led by Sparkup Tartu Science Park and Tehnopol Startup Incubator

Defence investors in Europe 2025

June 20

Many VCs are now turning their attention to defence

Daniel Ek (Spotify) Doubles Down on Defence: €600M Investment in Helsing

June 20

Daniel Ek, the visionary co-founder and CEO of Spotify, has made headlines once again, this time with a massive investment of over €600 million in Helsing, a German defence technology company at the forefront of AI-powered solutions

Netherlands, Germany, Austria, and Denmark are acquiring Rheinmetall's Skyranger 30 mobile air-defense cannons

June 16

Rheinmetall's Skyranger 30 mobile air-defense cannon use a 30mm rapid-fire cannon with programmable airburst munitions (like Rheinmetall's AHEAD/KETF ammunition) coupled with surface-to-air missiles for longer-range targets

Nordic Air Defence has secured investments and developing a drone interceptor Kreuger 100

June 16

Nordic Air Defence (NAD) is a Swedish startup that has gained significant attention for its Kreuger 100, a lightweight, battery-powered drone interceptor

Estonian drone developer LendurAI raises 5.6 million euros

June 13

LendurAI, an Estonian startup developing autonomous drone solutions, raised 5.57 million euros from investors to, among other things, double its engineering team.

Revolutionizing Demining: Broswarm's X-Ray Eagle Takes Flight with €800K Boost

June 13

This innovative X-Ray Eagle sensor utilizes advanced radio waves to generate crystal-clear, 3D visualizations of buried objects

Broswarm's "X-Ray Eagle" Soaring High: Innovation in Mine Detection

June 13

Broswarm secured a significant €800,000 in funding from ScaleWolf, a dual-use VC and accelerator specializing in defense tech

Game-Changer on the Ground: ARX Robotics Secures €9 Million Seed Investment

June 13

In June 2024 ARX Robotics successfully closed a €9 million seed funding round, led by the prominent NATO Innovation Fund (NIF), with additional contributions from Discovery Ventures and Project A

Kadi-Ingrid Lilles promoted to partner at IRON Wolf Capital

June 13

Iron Wolf Capital, a Lithuanian early-stage venture capital fund that has invested in several Estonian startups, has added an Estonian partner Kadi-Ingrid Lilles to the team.

Luna Robotics Keeps Winning

June 09

One of the three grand prizes of the Latitude59 Pitch Competition at the international startup and technology conference Latitude59, held in Tallinn, was handed over to Lithuanian defense technology company Luna Robotics

European defence startups

June 09

Defence was for a long time, a taboo area for venture capital in Europe. Not any more!

Sentinel's Mission is to Defend Democracies Against Information Warfare

June 07

Headquartered in Tallinn, Estonia, Sentinel works with governments, media and defence agencies to help protect democracies from disinformation campaigns, synthetic media and information operations by developing a state-of-the-art AI detection platform

news from the defence startup space

June 07

Europe's Defence Tech Startups See Surge in Investment and Key Contracts in Spring 2025

10 European startups shaping the future of global security

June 05

From Munich to Tallinn, and from Berlin to Athens, these startups harness artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, advanced robotics, and digital twin technologies to offer solutions that promise to enhance efficiency and effectiveness in defence operations.

15 Top Defense Companies and Startups to Watch in Europe in 2025

June 05

Explore 15 defense companies and startups shaping military technology in Europe. These innovators advance battlefield solutions, unmanned systems, and defense asset protection for better security and operational efficiency

On May 14-16, the international defense fair and conference was held in Tallinn

June 04

On May 14-16, the international defense and civil protection, security of supply and civil protection fair and conference was held in Bekkeri Port in Tallinn, with the participation of top companies from both Estonia and Europe's defense industry.

Baltic defence ministers reiterated their commitment to increase defence spending to 5% of GDP from 2026

June 04

Defence Ministers of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania met at Ämari Air Base to align positions ahead of the upcoming NATO Summit in The Hague this June. The meeting focused on strengthening European defence readiness, increasing defence spending, advancing the Baltic Defence Line initiative, enhancing investments in the defence industry, and supporting Ukraine.

Unprecedented rise in global military expenditure as European spending surges

June 04

World military expenditure reached $2718 billion in 2024, an increase of 9.4 per cent in real terms from 2023 and the steepest year-on-year rise since at least the end of the cold war. Military spending increased in all world regions, with particularly rapid growth in Europe according to SIPRI

SEB Baltic Venture Debt investing into defence

May 29

Cyber defence company CybExer received a 1.5 million euro investment from SEB Baltic Venture Debt

GaltTec secured €1M to advance drones with next-generation fuel cells

May 29

GaltTec, an Estonian deep-tech startup developing micro-tubular solid oxide fuel cells (mSOFCs) for portable and off-grid energy solutions, has successfully closed its pre-seed funding round, raising a total of €1 million from private investors and grants

Rheinmetall has acquired another 11% of the shares in software developer blackned, now controls 51%

May 29

Rheinmetall, based in Bremen, has acquired another 11% of the shares in the Bavarian software developer blackned by means of a share purchase agreement. With this acquisition, Rheinmetall intends to control 51% and thus the majority of blackned, so far held a 40% stake in blackned.

Nokia and blackned team to create next-generation deployable tactical networks

May 29

Finland’s Nokia and German company blackned, in which Rheinmetall holds a 51% stake, have entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to create advanced deployable tactical networks for the defence sector

Council adopts €150 billion boost for joint procurement on European security and defence

May 28

European Council has adopted today a regulation setting up the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) instrument. SAFE is a new EU financial instrument that will support those member states that wish to invest in defence industrial production through common procurement, focusing on priority capabilities.

Estonian defence technology company 5.0 Robotics has secured an investment from Ilavska Vuillermoz Capital

May 28

5.0 Robotics has secured a investment from Ilavska Vuillermoz Capital, investment firm based in Luxembourg, as part of the launch of its dedicated DefenceTech Fund

Ukrainian-Estonian startup Deftak raises €600,000 investment from Darkstar

May 28

The Ukrainian-Estonian startup Deftak, which develops ammunition for new generation drones, has raised €600,000 from the European defense investment fund Darkstar

Ukrainian defence tech startups Himera and Zvook to receive grants of up to $100,000 from Google

May 23

Among the 30 projects receiving funding from the Google for Startups Ukraine Support Fund are three defence tech startups

Denmark to spend €830 million to the Ukrainian defense industry

May 14

Denmark will allocate €830 million to the Ukrainian defense industry in 2025 on behalf of the European Union, using windfall profits from frozen Russian assets to buy Ukraine-made weapons

Estonian company DefSecIntel develops ultra-short-range air defense with Ukrainian startups

May 14

Estonian defense technology company DefSecIntel Solutions joined an international initiative focused on strengthening ultra-short-range air defense capabilities in Ukraine

Estonian drone vendor builds largest factory in the Baltics

May 13

Meridein Grupp, a drone vendor and development center based on Estonian capital, plans to launch a large-scale drone production plant in the Baltics, with an initial capacity to produce up to 2,000 drones per day.

EU Funds Next Round of European Unmanned Ground System Project

May 13

An amount of 50 million euros has been approved for the project, which will be developed by the Milrem Robotics-led consortium that delivered the initial system in 2023.

Estonian company plans the largest drone factory in the Baltics

May 13

Entrepreneurs who have been involved in the sales of drones under the droon.ee brand are planning to build the largest drone factory in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania with a production capacity of 2,000 drones per day.

Quantum Systems raises €160M

May 11

Quantum Systems raises €160M as it targets global leadership in aerial intelligence solutions. Europe’s leading provider of advanced unmanned aerial intelligence solutions will accelerate R&D investment in AI and software to support its government and commercial customers through increased autonomy.

The Milrem-led consortium received 50 million from the European Union

May 09

A consortium of several dozen European companies and institutions, led by Milrem Robotics and including five Estonian companies, received 50 million euros in funding from the European Defense Fund at the end of April

Lithuania Secures €400 Million Defence Financing from Nordic Investment Bank

May 08

Lithuania signed a €400 million uncommitted credit facility agreement with the Nordic Investment Bank (NIB). This financing, available between 2025 and 2027 over a 20-year term, is designated for investments in Lithuania's national defense system

The European Defence Fund supports projects involving Estonian ICT companies with 365 million

May 07

In the latest round of applications from the European Defence Fund, sixteen international projects with the participation of Estonian ICT companies received funding, with a total of over 365 million euros allocated from the fund.

Lithuania is considering launching the production of Ukrainian Magura marine drones

May 06

Lithuania is considering launching the production of naval drones according to the “1+1” scheme — one for itself, one for Ukraine. The country is interested in Magura drones

Vietnam developed one of the most comprehensive indigenous counter-uncrewed aircraft systems

May 06

Vietnam has been quietly fielding what I believe might be the most comprehensive indigenous counter-uncrewed aircraft systems (C-UAS/drone) capabilities in Southeast Asia to date

Estonia Opened Its First Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Training Center

May 06

Estonian Centre for Defence Investments (ECDI) and the Estonian Defence League opened Estonia’s first unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) training center

The Estonian company Cybexer Technologies is participating in an international EDF-funded Citadel project

May 05

CybExer Technologies is tasked with leading the entire AI field in this 7-phase 60 M€ "Citadel" project

European Defence Fund summary 2024

April 30

The Commission will invest close to €1 billion in 62 new EDF projects, bringing total EU funding for collaborative defence R&D to over €4 billion since 2021.

Estonian startup Wayren has raised 7.9 million euros

April 25

Estonian startup Wayren has raised 7.9 million euros from EFA Group to create an innovative communications system for future soldiers

Denmark to invest around €540 million to improve surveillance and defense of the country’s home waters

April 25

Denmark will invest about 4 billion Danish kroner (€ 540 million) through 2033 to improve surveillance and defense of the country’s home waters. The Danish government agreed to allocate an additional 50 billion kroner to defense over the coming two years, boosting defense spending to more than 3% of GDP in 2025 and 2026.

Estonian State Establishes Explosives Business and Seeks Investor

April 24

Estonian government authorized the Minister of Finance to establish a € 120 million company whose task will be to establish a military explosives factory in Estonia

EU Commission reallocates cash to defence, again

April 24

The EU executive has published a list of EU funds that could be allocated to defence activities in the coming years, in a bid to finance the continent’s rearmament

Technologies for Existing and Future Main Battle Tanks project officially launched

April 23

The European Commission-funded Technologies for Existing and Future Main Battle Tanks (FMBTech) project has been officially launched, Thales, which is co-ordinating the effort, announced on 22 April 2025

EU budget set for defence-related boost under new regulation

April 23

Under a new Regulation to stimulate defence-related investments within the EU budget proposed today by the Commission, the EU will strengthen its defence Readiness 2030 and to implement the ReArm Europe plan.

Germany, Latvia, Norway Jointly Procure Anti-Tank Mines

April 22

Germany, Latvia, and Norway have signed a multilateral procurement agreement for the DM 22 anti-tank mine from MBDA

NATO picks Palantir’s Maven AI for military planning, amid trans-Atlantic tension

April 21

Amidst disputes over Trump’s tariffs, Ukraine, and the very future of the US-Europe alliance, NATO’s operational headquarters has committed to using American AI software for military planning, Palantir’s Maven Smart System

British Army uses radio-wave weapon to knock out drone swarm

April 21

The U.K. has invested more than €47 million into research and development of the radio-wave weapons

Ukraine’s decentralised defence procurement system

April 17

The most important talk at the Estonian Defence April 2025 Meetup was about Ukraine’s decentralised procurement. This is the key driver behind UA, becoming the most advanced tech army in the world, rapidly adopting new products on the battlefield

Defence sector investments, mergers and acquisitions in past 5 years

April 17

Europe's defence sector bets on space amid growing geopolitical threats

Amazing Drones plans to raise $300,000 for R&D and scaling

April 17

Amazing Drones develops interceptor mini-aircraft and missile-drone to tackle Shaheds – here’s how it works

Germany’s ARX Robotics plans to establish subsidiary in the UK

April 13

German unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) start-up ARX Robotics plans to establish a subsidiary in the United Kingdom with its headquarters in London and a development and production facility in southwest England

Darkstar is kickstarting a VC fund

April 12

DarkStar are the first new 🇪🇺 VC with a clear mandate to invest in real military solutions—because the future of our security depends on it

How KrattWorks deals with rapid advances in jamming and spoofing in Ukraine

April 11

“The situation with electronic warfare is moving extremely fast,” says Martin Karmin, KrattWorks’ cofounder and chief operations officer. “We have to constantly iterate. It’s like a cat-and-mouse game.”

EU funding rejection won't greatly affect Estonia's drone wall plans

April 09

A lack of EU funding for a planned drone wall to defend Estonia will not significantly impact the project going ahead, Interior Minister Igor Taro and Police and Border Guard Board development expert Hanna Heier both said

TEKEVER opens Ukrainian branch to support defence operations and technology development

April 09

Tekever, a European manufacturer of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), has announced the establishment of a new branch in Ukraine. The development is part of a collaboration with the Ministry of Strategic Industries of Ukraine

Norway, Denmark Join Senop’s Optronics Procurement Initiative

April 07

Norway and Denmark have joined Finland and Sweden in a military-optronics procurement initiative to acquire Senop products aimed at enhancing soldiers’ combat capabilities

Estonia Plans 1b euro Air Defense Purchase for Russian Ballistic Missile Threat

April 07

Estonia plans to procure a long-range air-defense system for a potential Russian ballistic missile attack.

EU leaders green-light 800 billion European rearmament Plan

March 27

European Union leaders have wrapped up a busy week for defense, endorsing a landmark plan Thursday to unlock a combined €800 billion ($866 billion) in European military spending

Airbus announces missile-slinging drone for air defense

March 27

Airbus unveiled a European-made anti-drone drone concept with elements of autonomy this week

Germany moves towards armed forces shooting down spy drones

March 26

The German government has approved a proposal to allow the armed forces to shoot down drones after a spate of suspicious activity near military bases, critical infrastructure and industrial sites.

Thales-led EISNET consortium by EDF to enhance European air defence

March 24

Under a European Defence Fund (EDF) initiative, Thales is to co-ordinate the European Interactive Sensor-Based Dynamic Defence Network (EISNET) consortium, involving 23 partners from industry, research centres and universities from 12 EU member states

The Unseen Fighters of Modern Warfare: Drones in the 21st Century

March 23

The modern battlefield is rapidly evolving, and at the forefront of this transformation are unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), more commonly known as drones.

the White Paper for European Defence and the ReArm Europe

March 23

Commission unveils the White Paper for European Defence and the ReArm Europe Plan/Readiness 2030

Keir Starmer committed to spending 2.5% of GDP on defence

March 19

Keir Starmer: We will deliver our commitment to spend 2.5% of GDP on defence but we will bring it forward so that we reach that level in 2027

British prime minister Sunak: We will put the UK defence industry on a war footing

March 19

London will increase defense spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2030 over six years, the British authorities will invest an additional 75 billion pounds in the military-industrial complex

Rheinmetall’s stock price has skyrocketed more than 1,000%

March 17

Rheinmetall’s stock has soared over 1,000%, and the German defense giant sees growth ‘that we have never experienced before

Increased Investment and Focus on Defense Tech Startups in EU

March 17

It's obvious that there's a significant increase in investment flowing into European defense tech startups. Here's a breakdown of the sources and key factors driving this trend

Taavi Madiberk's startup Frankenburg Technologies received a new injection of capital from the Cayman Islands

March 14

Taavi Madiberk's defense industry startup Frankenburg Technologies received 4 million euros in funding, half of which came from a shareholder registered in the Cayman Islands.

Estonian defence companies will build a drone wall on the eastern border of NATO

March 13

The Estonian Defence Industry Cluster introduced the concept of the Baltic drone wall, which aims to strengthen the eastern border of the European Union and NATO

Ukrainian startup supplies secure radios to US Air Force

March 13

Ukrainian defence-tech startup Himera, known for producing radio-electronic warfare (EW)-resistant radios, has announced the delivery of its communication systems to the U.S. Air Force.

6000 Helsing HX-2 AI drones to Ukraine

March 09

Helsing delivers 6000 state of the art AI drones to Ukraine. Range 100km, weight 12kg, speed 220km/h

US Army acquires Milrem’s THeMIS UGV for research

March 08

The Milrem THeMIS UGV can be adapted for a range of US Army’s Cold Regions Research and Engineering applications, including logistics, reconnaissance, and operational support.

How Estonia Delivers What Ukraine Needs Now?

March 08

The Estonian state allocates 0.25% of its GDP for the defense of Ukraine every year, which is approximately €100,000,000

Is VC Money now massively about to flow into Defence Tech?

March 08

Investment committees have struggled to back Defence Tech for years due to strict governance guidelines, but not any more

Treat weapons investments as ‘ethical’ to help arm Ukraine and UK

March 07

Banks, investors and pension funds should treat weapons manufacturers as “ethical” investments so that more money goes to the industry to arm Ukraine and the UK

Advanced attack drones for Ukraine in new deal struck by UK government and Anduril

March 07

Ukraine’s armed forces will be backed by more advanced attack drones to tackle Russian aggression, following a deal struck by the UK government and an American defence tech company Anduril

Germany’s defence stocks go ballistic

March 07

Defence is now by far the most dynamic sector of German industry

Germany's Merz promises to do 'whatever it takes' on defence

March 06

Friedrich Merz, Germany's next chancellor, has announced to raise hundreds of billions of euros in extra spending on defence

Frankenburg Technologies Mark I C-UAV missiles for the Latvian Ministry of Defense

March 05

Innovation in Defense: Frankenburg Technologies will deliver Mark I C-UAV missiles for the Latvian MoD

Estonia's tech investors take defence into their own hands as Russian threat looms

March 05

The share of European defence tech investments up 400% to 1.7% of venture capital funding in 2024 from just 0.4% in 2022, reaching nearly $1 billion.

EU proposes borrowing 150 billion euros in big rearmament push

March 05

Up to 150 billion euros to lend to EU governments under a rearmament plan driven by Russia's war in Ukraine!