NATO-Backed Startup Greenjets Raises $40M for Next-Gen Aviation Engines

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Greenjets, a London-based aerospace startup, raised $40 million in Series A funding backed by NATO's Innovation Fund. The company builds engines and airframes for next-gen drones and interceptors.

A London-based aerospace startup just secured a massive $40 million Series A round with an unusual backer: NATO's innovation fund. Here's why that matters. Greenjets, a company that builds propulsion systems, aircraft platforms, and launch technologies for the next generation of aviation, announced the funding today. The round was led by Blossom Capital, with participation from the NATO Innovation Fund (NIF), the National Security Strategic Investment Fund (NSSIF), and existing investors including Tanglin Ventures, NSFO Family Office, and others. ### The Problem Greenjets Solves Modern warfare has changed dramatically. Drones are now the defining weapon of conflict, and they're getting faster. Russia produced over 50,000 Shahed-class attack drones in 2025, up from just 11,000 in 2024. Newer variants can reach speeds of over 310 miles per hour. At those speeds, traditional propeller-based interceptors simply can't keep up. Turbojets can, but they take up to two minutes to spool up and have constrained supply chains. Greenjets provides the underlying engines and airframes to close this gap. ### What Makes Their Technology Different Founded in 2022 by CEO Anmol Manohar and CTO Dr. Guido Monterzino, Greenjets claims its patented engine technology increases aircraft safety and reduces the certification burden. The company has developed proprietary propulsion architectures spanning electric ducted fans through to geared turbofan engines. Combined with advanced aircraft integration and low-cost manufacturing, these technologies enable aircraft that are: - Quieter and faster than current options - More efficient and better suited to modern aerospace demands - Built on a common technology stack for rapid iteration and production at scale The company's integrated portfolio spans propulsion systems, aircraft platforms, and launch technologies. ### Why NATO Invested Patrick Schneider-Sikorsky, Partner at NIF, explained the rationale: "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." This is exactly the kind of Allied supply-chain technology the NATO Innovation Fund was set up to back. ### Rapid Growth and Scaling Greenjets has already expanded its UK facilities from 12,000 to nearly 70,000 square feet. The company is on track to grow from 160 to more than 250 employees, supporting the transition from development to production. The company is under contract across multiple UK and international programs, with technologies progressing toward demonstration trials with the UK Ministry of Defence and partners this year. ### What's Next The company plans to use this funding to accelerate its transition from development to production, supporting the delivery of thousands of systems over the next 12 months. Alongside scaling production, the investment will accelerate development across its propulsion systems and AI capabilities. As Manohar and Monterzino put it: "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." For those watching the intersection of defense technology and aerospace innovation, Greenjets is definitely a company to keep an eye on.

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