Lockheed Martin Ventures Pours $100 Million Into European Defense Startups

Jan de Vries · 2026-07-17

American venture capital firm Lockheed Martin Ventures is making a serious push into European markets, planning to invest a portion of its massive $1 billion fund into promising DefenseTech companies across the continent. The firm is also opening a new office in London, with a goal of deploying at least $100 million of that funding specifically 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 of 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." ### Why Europe? Why Now? Lockheed Martin Ventures' decision to expand into Europe comes at a time when the continent's DefenseTech, dual-use, unmanned-systems, and sovereign-intelligence sectors are seeing a surge in financing activity. According to EU-Startups, nine relevant companies have collectively raised over $1.24 billion, with a whopping $1.14 billion of that total coming from Quantum Systems' Series D round. The other disclosed rounds together account for approximately $98.8 million. UK-based companies like London's SatVu and Occam Industries, as well as Bristol's Uplift360, are making the United Kingdom a visible part of this funding pipeline. It's no coincidence that Lockheed Martin Ventures chose London for its European office. ### A Strategic Investment Approach "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. "We expect our investment strategy to evolve as technologies emerge and the startup environment matures in markets where we do business around the world." ### Lockheed Martin Ventures: A Track Record of Success Founded in 2007 with an initial funding of $100 million, Lockheed Martin Ventures is the investment arm of the American aerospace and defense giant Lockheed Martin. Since its founding, it 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. Lockheed Martin Ventures provides portfolio companies with access to resources like engineering talent, technologies and research, and the full suite of Lockheed Martin's business and technical expertise. That kind of support can be a game-changer for early-stage startups. ### The Biggest Boost in Fund History The focus on European innovation follows the largest boost in available capital in the fund's history. In April, the company announced it would increase its investment capacity from $400 million to $1 billion. Using a portion of that enhanced funding capacity, Lockheed Martin Ventures Europe will accelerate the insertion of new technologies into DefenseTech, part of the company's commitment to strengthen the transatlantic defense industrial base. ### What This Means for European Startups For European DefenseTech startups, this is a huge opportunity. Lockheed Martin Ventures is not just another investor; it's a strategic partner with deep industry connections and technical expertise. The firm says it has already invested in a number of European companies, and it's likely that list will grow quickly as the new London office gets up and running. If you're a startup in the DefenseTech, dual-use, unmanned-systems, or sovereign-intelligence space, this is the time to get on their radar. The full list of their European investments can be found on their website.