EUVC Live at GoWest | Europe Wants Defence Tech Without Saying “Defence”: Karl-Christian Agerup, NATO Innovation Fund & Nicholas Nelson, Archangel Ventures & Sebastian von Ribbentrop, Join Capital
This panel dissects Europe's defense tech investment surge, questioning whether the billion-dollar capital influx represents strategic necessity or venture opportunism. Featuring investors from NATO Innovation Fund, Archangel Ventures, and Join Capital, the discussion cuts through the hype to examine Europe's fundamental challenge: building indigenous defense capabilities while navigating the blurred lines between dual-use and defense-only technologies.
Key takeaways
- •European sovereignty now depends on technology and capital flows, not just diplomatic policy, with NATO's Innovation Fund deploying over $1 billion across defense and resilience technologies.
- •Defense technology has rapidly evolved from frontier venture territory to mainstream VC, shifting focus from funding availability to actual capability delivery and execution.
- •European defense tech startups have outperformed broader markets by 60% over fourteen years, demonstrating that dual-use approaches drive superior returns from inception.
- •Europe faces a strategic imperative to develop indigenous defense capabilities rather than relying on policy solutions to address technology and security gaps.
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