This London Startup Just Raised $40M to Build Next-Gen Drone Engines for NATO

Jan de Vries · 2026-07-17

Greenjets, a London-based aerospace company building propulsion systems and aircraft platforms for the next generation of aviation, just announced a $40 million Series A funding round. That's a big deal, especially because one of the investors is the NATO Innovation Fund. ### The Round and the Players The round was led by Blossom Capital, with participation from the NATO Innovation Fund (NIF), the UK's National Security Strategic Investment Fund (NSSIF), and existing backers like Tanglin Ventures and NSFO Family Office. The company plans to use this cash to ramp up production and deliver thousands of systems over the next 12 months. ### Why NATO Cares Here's where it gets interesting. Drones have become the defining weapon of modern conflict. According to NIF, Russia produced over 50,000 Shahed-class attack drones in 2025, up from 11,000 in 2024. And these aren't the slow, buzzing things you see in old videos. Newer Shahed variants can hit speeds of around 310 miles per hour. At those speeds, propeller-based interceptors just can't keep up. Turbojets can, but they take up to two minutes to spool up and have fragile supply chains. Greenjets is building engines and airframes that close that gap. ### What Greenjets Actually Does Founded in 2022 by Anmol Manohar and Dr. Guido Monterzino, Greenjets claims its patented engine tech increases aircraft safety and reduces certification burdens. They've developed proprietary propulsion architectures, from electric ducted fans to geared turbofan engines. Combine that with advanced aircraft integration and low-cost manufacturing, and you get aircraft that are quieter, faster, and more efficient. > "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." – Anmol Manohar and Dr. Guido Monterzino ### The Technology Stack Greenjets' integrated portfolio spans propulsion systems, aircraft platforms, and launch technologies, all built on a common technology stack. That means they can iterate quickly, scale production, and deploy across multiple aerospace applications. It's not just about one product; it's about a platform that can power everything from small drones to larger aircraft. ### Scaling Up Fast The company is already under contract with multiple UK and international programs. They're moving toward demonstration trials with the UK Ministry of Defence and partners this year. To handle the demand, Greenjets has expanded its UK facilities from 12,000 to nearly 70,000 square feet. They're also hiring aggressively, planning to grow from 160 to over 250 employees. ### The Bottom Line This isn't just another startup funding round. It's a signal that defense tech is evolving fast, and propulsion is the bottleneck. As Patrick Schneider-Sikorsky, Partner at NIF, put it: "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 now moving from development to production, and with $40 million in the bank and NATO backing, they're in a strong position to shape the future of aerial defense.