Keen Venture Partners announces that it has completed the first closing of its European defence and security tech fund. The fund has raised over €150 million and is now the largest venture capital fund for defence tech in Europe. . The fund is fully operational and is investing capital in start-ups and scale-ups developing defence and security technologies in European NATO countries.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has made it clear that Europe can no longer afford to wait to strengthen its defence capabilities. Investing more in European technology is essential to achieving strategic autonomy. The war in Ukraine has demonstrated that scalable, software-driven technologies, including artificial intelligence and autonomous systems, significantly impact effectiveness on the modern battlefield. European start-ups are also developing these technologies. Yet only a quarter of European defence budgets currently remain within the EU. As a result, those who want to innovate in the sector lack both capital and access to early customers in the industry.
The first closing was made possible by commitments from private individuals and institutional investors who recognise the urgency of strengthening the European defence technology ecosystem. The European Investment Fund (EIF) and the Dutch pension fund PME have each committed €40 million.
Keen Venture Partners is the first European venture capital fund to receive a commitment from the EIF under its new €175 million Defence Investment Programme. Other investors include TNO, the largest Dutch applied research organisation with deep expertise in defence and deep tech, and ABN AMRO, demonstrating strong support from the broader financial ecosystem in the Netherlands.
“With the first closing completed, we are now operating at full capacity,” said Alexander Ribbink and Giuseppe Lacerenza (see interview here), partners at Keen Venture Partners, in a statement. “We have the institutional support of the EIF and PME, and an advisory board with extensive experience in both military operations and defence policy. Europe has the talent, technology and ambition. What was missing was capital and access to launch customers in the defence sector. With this fund, we are closing that gap.”
“We are paying particular attention to Italy, both in terms of institutional investors and founders,” adds Lacerenza (pictured). “The former have a real opportunity to participate in the crucial challenge of acquiring strategic capabilities to support European defence; for the latter, we are the right partner to transform an idea into a real business in an extremely complex sector.”
Keen Venture Partners supports both companies that develop dual-use technologies and defence-first companies, i.e. those that build critical capabilities directly for defence. The fund focuses on key areas of defence technology, including cybersecurity, autonomous systems, deterrence technologies and space applications. Keen Venture Partners aims to invest in more than 25 companies, from seed to Series B, with an emphasis on Series A, through investments ranging from €1 million to €10 million.
Previous investments in the defence and security sector include EclecticIQ, Intelic (formerly Avalor AI) and Perciv AI. In the coming years, Keen Venture Partners anticipates extensive collaboration and co-investments with other European venture capital funds. To support this new phase of growth, Keen Venture Partners is strengthening its team with a series of targeted hires.
Keen Venture Partners is a venture capital firm based in Amsterdam and London. Keen Venture Partners supports high-growth European technology teams and companies, from seed to Series B, and has developed strong expertise in defence and deep tech, supported by an advisory board composed of European military leaders, industry experts and policy makers.
The company invests using an investment thesis-driven approach, formulating investment ideas based on fundamental trends in specific areas of technology. Keen Venture Partners leverages its network of operators, experience and expertise to build relationships with founders even before investing. Its portfolio includes over 30 start-ups and scale-ups across Europe.
In Italy, Keen Venture Partners has already invested in several start-ups, such as Sibill and Fiscozen.
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