This British Startup Just Raised $40M with NATO's Backing to Solve a Critical Defense Gap

Jan de Vries · 2026-07-17

Greenjets, a London-based aerospace company that builds propulsion systems and aircraft platforms for the next generation of aviation, just closed a $40 million Series A funding round. That's roughly €35 million for those keeping score across the pond. The round was led by Blossom Capital, with notable participation from the NATO Innovation Fund (NIF) and the UK's National Security Strategic Investment Fund (NSSIF). Existing investors like Tanglin Ventures and NSFO Family Office also chipped in. ### Why NATO is Betting on This Company Here's the thing: drones have become the defining weapon of modern conflict. And they're getting faster. According to NIF, Russia produced over 50,000 Shahed-class attack drones in 2025 alone — up from just 11,000 the year before. Some newer variants now reach speeds of about 310 miles per hour. At those speeds, traditional propeller-based interceptors can't keep up. Turbojets can, but they take up to two minutes to spool up and have constrained supply chains. That's a gap Greenjets aims to close with its proprietary engine technology. ### What Greenjets Actually Does Founded in 2022 by Anmol Manohar and Dr. Guido Monterzino, the company has developed propulsion architectures that span electric ducted fans all the way to geared turbofan engines. Their claim: patented engine designs that increase aircraft safety and reduce the certification burden. When you combine that with advanced aircraft integration and low-cost manufacturing, you get aircraft that are: - Quieter and faster - More efficient - Better suited to modern aerospace demands The company's integrated portfolio covers propulsion systems, aircraft platforms, and launch technologies — all built on a common tech stack. That means they can iterate rapidly, produce at scale, and deploy across multiple applications. ### The Human Side of the Story Manohar and Monterzino put it this way: "When we founded Greenjets, our ambition was to develop the technologies that would shape the future of aviation. The conflict in Ukraine has reinforced just how important those same technologies are in protecting lives, strengthening Europe's resilience and enabling the future of flight." They believe building affordable defensive capability is a necessary response to today's realities — and a natural extension of their mission to advance aviation. ### Where the Money is Going The company plans to use this funding to accelerate its transition from development to production. We're talking thousands of systems over the next 12 months. They've already expanded their UK facilities from 12,000 to nearly 70,000 square feet and are on track to grow from 160 to more than 250 employees. Patrick Schneider-Sikorsky, Partner at NIF, summed it up well: "The speed at which the defense and security drone industry is evolving means that propulsion is the constraint that determines whether an interceptor can close the gap on a 310 mph target or vice versa. Greenjets is addressing this at the engine and airframe level, meaningfully improving the performance of UAS and CUAS companies, without them having to solve propulsion independently." Greenjets is already under contract across multiple UK and international programs, with demonstration trials scheduled with the UK Ministry of Defense and partners this year. This isn't just a funding story — it's a signal that the defense tech landscape is shifting, and fast.