During the 29th edition of Eurosatory 2026, the international defense industry exhibition organized by Coges Events and taking place on June 15–19 this year at Paris-Nord Villepinte near Paris, British company BAE Systems announced that it will allocate 50 million EUR to venture capital funds focused on supporting European defense technology start-ups.
Photos: Jakub Link-Lenczowski, MILMAG
These investments will expand the company’s long-term strategy of investing in future technologies and form the second stage of the recently announced Launchpad program, which aims to accelerate breakthrough technologies.
25 million EUR will go to each of two funds managed by Expeditions and Lakestar, which support the development of European innovation in the defense sector. The funds invest in start-ups and technologies intended to deliver next-generation capabilities to allies across the continent.
Dave Ewing, Head of Technology Commercialisation, BAE Systems:
“As a large defence company, we’ve always valued the capability and ingenuity that early-stage founders can bring to the table and these latest investments show that we’re serious about supporting them as they look to play their part in delivering the technologies of tomorrow. Building on our long-standing investment in innovation, we recently set up Launchpad as a win-win, aiming to spin out some of our own defence technologies to commercial markets while also backing start-ups who can bring something new to defence. This latest step means we’re full steam ahead on making that a reality.”
Klaus Hommels, Founder and Chairman, Lakestar
|Europe is at a pivotal moment in redefining its security and technological sovereignty and supporting the next generation of defence-tech founders will be critical to that effort. BAE Systems’ investment is significant as it brings together capital, deep sector expertise and access to markets to accelerate the development and deployment of the capabilities Europe needs to remain secure in an increasingly complex world.”
Dr Mikolaj Firlej, Co-Founder and General Partner, Expeditions:
“European defence-tech can drive the most transformative shift for our continent in a generation and Expeditions has been investing with this conviction for years. Our security can no longer be assumed; it has to be built. Its architects will be the founders deploying innovative products at scale, in weeks and months rather than years, drawing on lessons from the frontline. We are grateful to partner with BAE Systems in this endeavour. Our combined force, equipped with greater resources, will invest with the discipline and urgency our security demands.”
Launchpad is intended to address the challenge of advancing defense technologies beyond the prototype stage by funding early-stage ventures or turning them into independent start-ups. This aligns with key priorities in Europe, including in the United Kingdom, whose Defense Industrial Strategy highlighted the need for continuous innovation at the pace of war and called for more successful spin-outs of technologies developed in the UK.
The program is intended to leverage BAE Systems’ position as a technology innovator to support national priorities, including rapid technology incubation, sovereign capabilities and economic growth. It also gives start-ups access to customers in other sectors, such as energy and advanced manufacturing.
Launchpad’s ambition is to continue developing in line with the company’s business priorities, support new start-ups and accelerate technology development.
David Williams, managing director for Europe at BAE Systems, said:
“As Europe’s leading defence company, we are central to the continent’s security, working together with industrial partners to innovate and deliver deterrence through superior technology. We remain committed to growing our business in Europe and supporting early-stage defence tech in the region. These investments further demonstrate our commitment to our European presence and the ongoing development of hubs within the Nordics, Germany and Poland, where we can do even more together in the defence ecosystem with our industrial partners.”