First award from Defence Equity Facility directs €40 million to dual-use technologies including AI, robotics, autonomous systems and space
Andrius Kubilius, the European commissioner responsible for defence and space. Photo credits: European Union
Investment has started to flow from the Defence Equity Facility, a €175 million collaboration between the European Investment Fund (EIF) and the European Defence Fund designed to attract private interest in defence innovation.
The first investment, worth €40 million, will go to a newly created defence and security technology fund run by Keen Venture Partners out of London and Amsterdam.
“The investment in Keen Ventures is an important milestone, which demonstrates our ambition to improve access to finance for the defence industry, and in particular new defence players,” said Andrius Kubilius, the European commissioner responsible for defence and space, announcing the investment in May.
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