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‘Revolutionary’: Defense Ministry start-ups grab investments of NIS 500m.   Senior defense official to ‘Post’: Ukraine, Asia conflicts keep Israeli sales high despite Gaza war.   Start-ups funded by the Defense Ministry have attracted half a billion shekels in investments during the Gaza war, a senior Defense Ministry official told The Jerusalem Post.   The official, Defense Ministry Head of the Planning, Economics & IT Department Col. Nir Weingold, also told the Post that the Russian invasion of Ukraine and potential conflicts in Asia relating to China have led to unprecedented interest globally in Israeli defense technology, despite criticism relating to the Gaza war.   More specifically, Weingold said that during the war, 10% of alumni of 50 start-ups from a special program to selectively give out seed funding not only secured follow-up R&D orders directly from the Defense Ministry totaling more than $5 million, but also attracted outside investors’ funding exceeding half a billion dollars.   https://lnkd.in/d6mSHaSY   Star26 - we are an acquisition holding company in the defense technology sector. Our roll-up strategy creates economies of scale, enhancing competitiveness and profitability.   #defensetech #star26 #israel #acquisitions #defense #aerospace #DefenseTech #StrategicInvestment #Innovation

Support for Europe’s #defence start-ups is gaining momentum, with the European Investment Bank approving its first-ever €1 billion fund for security and defence R&D, and #NATO’s DIANA accelerator selecting 73 promising start-ups for 2025. However, the sheer scale of demand—2,600 applications for #DIANA’s limited spots—reveals a #funding gap that remains far from bridged. 📌 Find out more: https://lnkd.in/et8PgGwj

Glad to see the first investments by NATO Innovation Fund (NIF) 🚀 Its a strong start for a superb team. Pleased to be interviewed for this Semafor piece, thanks Mathias Gjesdal Hammer. Credible deterrence is at the heart of NATO ability to defend freedom and preserve peace in the Euro-Atlantic area. Such deterrence can only be achieved with military superiority over adversaries. Emerging technologies increasingly augment the military power. To follow this logic, NATO and the West, in general, must invest in disruptive technolgies because these investments directly link to NATO’s core mission - to defend freedom. That’s where NIF comes in, with its massive $1.1 billion war chest to deploy across participating NATO countries. To elaborate on what success means for the NIF, I believe, on a strategic level, there are two important considerations. First, as I allude to in the article, certain NIF investments should eventually find their way into the Allied military capabilities. There is no established path for such transfer. In fact, it is a well-known fact that NATO’s defense procurement is fragmented along the national lines. Yet, the imperative to upgrade NATO’s technology edge is obvious and technological integration into the military would be considered a success for the fund. It will take time but that’s why NIF long-term investment horizon is an advantage. Second, the fund (and its sub-funds) needs to make money. Returning capital at whatever multiple the LPs set as a bencmark will ensure that the governments can financially (and politically) defend their decision to pool capital together. Dual-use technologies are, by definition, applicable both to the military and to the commercialization. NIF countries, all of them in Europe for now, direly need to build technology companies that become “magnificent” - just like the US stock market darlings. Financial success, hence, shall breed follow-on cooperation and strengthen NATO. #WeAreNATO #NIF

Onhan akku- ja sähköistymisväki mukana tässä nopeasti kasvavassa markkinassa. TESI:n tuoreesta markkinakatsauksesta löytyy tietoa aiheesta: "Tesi’s (officially Finnish Industry Investment) recent survey reveals robust growth in Finland’s defence industry: new startups and growth companies are being founded at an accelerating pace while the sector’s more traditional companies are scaling up. Dual-use companies, offering solutions for both civil and military use, are growing fastest and they are also attracting investors’ interest." #akkuala #sähköistyminen #defence #dualuse https://lnkd.in/dYhzwF5n

In honor of Europe Day 2024 today, we're calling for startups & SMEs in our network who are interested in the European Defence Fund (EDF) 2024 calls for proposals and meeting other European defense actors... On May 28 and 29, 2024, the European Commission is hosting the (hybrid) EDF Info Days 2024 in Brussels for potential applicants to the EDF calls for proposals (see them here: https://bit.ly/44wc3Lt). The deadline to register to pitch your company at EDF Info Days 2024 is this Wednesday, May 15, 2024! Learn more and register below. 👉 https://bit.ly/3JWcBAN The two-day event is a terrific opportunity to pitch your ideas to potential investors, get insights on funding opportunities, schedule one-on-one meetings with stakeholders from across the EU in order to extend your international network and create strategic partnerships, and learn about the call for proposals from the Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space (DG DEFIS). **There is no cost to participate, but registration is required (for companies interested in attending in person (and not pitching), registration closes on May 22, 2024). Companies can attend the event in person or participate virtually.** Our Chief Development Officer Kadi Silde and Starburst France's Innovation and Ventures Director Cédric Vallet will be on-site throughout EDF Info Days and available for networking meetings. Please reach out to us if you're interested in connecting: https://bit.ly/40pW3rN The EDF is providing €8 billion over 2021-2027 for defense research and development in all operational and technological domains (land, sea, air, space, cyber, information, energy, materials, CBRN, etc.). cc: François Chopard, Lukas Oberhofer, Matthieu Chartier, Florentyna Smith-Tamarapa #EDFInfoDays #innovation #EU #defense #dualuse #startup #pitch #investment #funding #EDF #DGDEFIS #aerospace

Yurts has secured $40M in Series B funding, a significant milestone in their efforts to revolutionize mission-critical systems with secure and scalable #GenAI solutions. Yurts is setting a standard for how AI should evolve to meet the unique needs of government, defense, and global enterprises with precision and responsibility. 💡 Congratulations to the Yurts team and XYZ Venture Capital, Glynn Capital, Nava Ventures, Mango Capital, and Bloomberg Beta for supporting innovation where it truly matters. 🙌

🚀 Join the free online course "Navigating Veterans' Return: A Step-by-Step Guide for Companies" on the Prometheus platform! Millions of Ukrainians put their careers on hold to defend their country, making their return to the workforce a crucial step in rebuilding economic resilience. For businesses, this is both a responsibility and an opportunity to make a meaningful impact. By developing thoughtful reintegration programs, companies can help veterans transition smoothly back to work and contribute to a stronger, more inclusive economy. Recognising this importance, the Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine (PFRU) – a multi-donor programme funded by Ukraine’s international partners – supported the development of the online course "Navigating Veterans' Return: A Step-by-Step Guide for Companies," created by the NGO "Free People Employment Center." This course is designed to provide businesses with practical tools for: 🔸 Effective communication with veterans 🔸 Hiring and integrating veterans into the workplace 🔸 Adapting military skills to civilian professions 🔸 Supporting mobilised employees and their families 📅 Start date: January 16 💻 Format: online, free of charge 👉 Register now via the link: https://bit.ly/4jgAcg0 #PFRU is a multi-donor programme funded by 🇨🇦 🇪🇪 🇫🇮 🇳🇱 🇳🇴 🇸🇪 🇨🇭 🇬🇧 🇺🇸

We’ve just secured $40 million in Series B funding, led by XYZ Venture Capital, with participation from Glynn Capital, Nava Ventures, and other strategic partners. 🚀 This investment is a testament to our mission to deliver secure and scalable #GenAI solutions that transform mission-critical systems.💡 We're proud to provide solutions to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) , the US Army, and the United States Air Force. 🇺🇸 At Yurts, we’re committed to empowering organizations with #AI that works where it matters most—seamlessly integrating into existing infrastructures while maintaining the highest security standards. With this funding, we’ll expand our capabilities, deepen partnerships, and continue to deliver solutions to defense, government, and the enterprise. 🤖 https://lnkd.in/gcqk9Mjs #AISecurity #AIinDefense #GovernmentTech #MissionCritical

Our next #ResilienceConference speaker announcement is John R. Director of Defence Innovation at the UK Ministry of Defence. After retiring from the British Army in 2020, John joined the Civil Service and spent two years as Director Strategy and Enterprise Services in Defence Intelligence, where he led transformation and corporate services. After a short project at 10 Downing Street, he returned to the Ministry of Defence in his current position of Director of Defence Innovation. He will lend his extensive expertise to Resilience Conference as we discuss the challenges of delivering new technology to battlefields, focusing on the impacts on supply chains, procurement, and the critical roles of partnerships and innovation in maintaining operations amidst conflict. Have you gotten your ticket to Resilience Conference yet? Apply for tickets to join us for this discussion on 26-27 September in London - https://lnkd.in/e_Gfj3jZ Interested in sponsoring a closed-session workshop or hosting a dinner? Contact us at hello@resilienceconference.io to discuss how your company can get involved at Resilience Conference. #resilience #defenceinnovation #defencetech #dualuse #startups #infosec #supplychain

There was not a day in 2025 that was disappointing so far. I hope it would be different! 💶 Trump announced yesterday that NATO member states should spend up to 5% of GDP on defense and that Europe can afford it! Not sure how though with the current economic outlook and budget constraints. 🪖 At the same time NATO Admiral Rob Bauer said that Investors are stupid not to invest more in defense and sees this is a great opportunity, especially also for long term investors like pension funds and others. He put it bluntly: "Why are you not convinced by trillions of dollars? What has happened to your business instinct? Are you stupid?" 🇪🇺 Everyone agrees that Europe needs to step up when it comes to its military capabilities. Interestingly lot of state pockets still do not allow it, although it should be in their interest. This raises questions that we at Speedinvest also discussed a lot. ❓ Should the European government institutions change their investment rules when it comes to defense investments? ❓ Should there be more VC investment into technology that has clear military use cases? And are those VC businesses? In the US many clearly answers this with YES and and also a lot has happened in Europe already and new funds like NATO Innovation Fund (NIF) and others emerged. But it is still early days.