Lockheed Martin Ventures Pours $100M Into European Defense Tech Startups

Jan de Vries · 2026-07-17

American VC firm Lockheed Martin Ventures is expanding its reach to European markets in order to invest its $1 billion fund in promising DefenseTech companies from across the continent. The firm will also be opening a London office with the goal of investing at least $100 million of its funding in the United Kingdom and Europe. "We are reaching even deeper into the investing ecosystem, meeting our potential partners where they are," says Chris Moran, vice president and general manager, Lockheed Martin Ventures. "Our presence will help us seize opportunities for investing earlier in the startup lifecycle, ensure technical interoperability with existing platforms, and better support our allied customers." Lockheed Martin Ventures' plan to deploy part of its investment capacity in Europe comes amid substantial financing activity across the continent's DefenseTech, dual-use, unmanned-systems and sovereign-intelligence sectors. ### Why This Move Matters for European Startups This isn't just another investment round. Lockheed Martin Ventures is bringing serious firepower to the European defense tech scene. The firm's $1 billion fund, announced back in April, represents the largest boost in available capital in the fund's history. That's a big deal for startups looking to scale their technologies. Consider this: EU-Startups has tracked more than $1.25 billion raised by nine relevant companies in the sector. That includes Quantum Systems' Series D round at $1.15 billion, plus other disclosed rounds totaling around $99 million. The United Kingdom is a visible part of this pipeline, with comparators like London's SatVu and Occam Industries and Bristol's Uplift360. ### What Lockheed Martin Ventures Offers Beyond Capital Founded in 2007 with initial funding of $100 million, Lockheed Martin Ventures has matured 60 companies to become suppliers. To date, it has invested more than $500 million in over 120 companies. Over the past two years alone, 25 companies have been added to the portfolio. But it's not just about the money. Portfolio companies get access to: - Engineering talent from Lockheed Martin - Cutting-edge technologies and research - The full suite of Lockheed Martin's business and technical expertise "We are looking to invest in technologies that complement the company's national security capabilities and help advance solutions to meet current and future customer mission needs, while further strengthening the transatlantic defense industrial base," adds Dan Tenney, senior vice president of Global Business Development and Strategy. ### The Strategy Behind the London Office The London office isn't just a flag-planting exercise. It's a strategic move to get closer to the action. "We expect our investment strategy to evolve as technologies emerge and the startup environment matures in markets where we do business around the world," Tenney says. Using a portion of that enhanced funding capacity, Lockheed Martin Ventures Europe will accelerate the insertion of new technologies into DefenseTech. It's part of the company's commitment to strengthen the transatlantic defense industrial base. The firm says they have already invested in a number of European companies. ### What This Means for You If you're a European defense tech startup, this is a clear signal that the door is open. Lockheed Martin Ventures is actively looking for technologies that complement their national security capabilities. They want to invest earlier in the startup lifecycle, ensure technical interoperability with existing platforms, and better support allied customers. The bottom line? The transatlantic defense tech ecosystem is getting a major injection of capital and expertise. And if you're building something that fits, there's never been a better time to connect.