Darkstar, a defence tech ecosystem builder, introduced the official launch of Europe’s first pan-European defence fund absolutely devoted to backing actual navy programs, together with weapons and dual-use applied sciences.
The newly launched €25M fund has secured a primary shut of €15M, led by SmartCap, Estonia’s sovereign defence fund. Moreover, over 30 founders and supporters from throughout Europe additionally backed the fund.
With this fund, the Darkstar will deal with “combat-proven merchandise & groups, which have the best influence for Ukraine WIN & Re-Arm Europe,” says Ragner SaaS, co-founder of Darkstar.
With particular person investments of as much as €1M per startup, Darkstar has already backed two corporations and plans to shut one other 4–5 offers by year-end.
“Our mission is to strengthen nationwide safety and preparedness for NATO and its allies by fostering transformative defence applied sciences and constructing an ecosystem that thrives on innovation, collaboration, and real-world applicability,” says the corporate.
The fund solely targets defence innovators with high-impact, battlefield-ready applied sciences from guided munitions and various navigation to surveillance and unmanned programs.
Darkstar: Constructing the defence tech ecosystem
Darkstar is a coalition of people and organisations bringing collectively experience from unicorn founders, navy veterans, buyers, and technical leaders.
The VC agency is bridging the hole between trendy warfare challenges and the applied sciences wanted to deal with them.
On the core of Darkstar’s technique is its Bootcamp sequence. It’s a high-intensity, five-day accelerator hosted in Kyiv.
These bootcamps unite defence startups, navy items, and policymakers to co-develop, field-test, and deploy real-time options.
Every bootcamp allocates €1.5M in potential funding, and taking part startups obtain stay fight validation, instant consumer suggestions, and direct engagement with authorities consumers and navy procurement items.
Darkstar helps applied sciences with civilian and navy usages, corresponding to:
Satellite tv for pc imagingRobotics & AICommunications and navigation programs
Moreover, the VC additionally actively invests in single-use battlefield programs, together with:
Loitering and guided munitionsAutonomous weapon platformsTargeting and imaging payloads
“ReArming Europe begins with giving Ukraine the most effective and most superior instruments to win. We can not construct Europe’s future navy with out studying from the 🇺🇦 frontline. That’s why our most crucial advisors are the most effective Ukrainian fight troopers,” says Ragner SaaS, co-founder of Darkstar.
