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Geopolitical flare ups are helping to temper venture capital’s decades-long love affair with software and spark a greater interest in defense technology, according to several startup investors. The wars in Ukraine and Israel have spurred venture capitalists to open their pocketbooks for so-called defense tech, the equipment and systems used to defend national interests, according to a report from AIN Ventures. Between 2021 and 2023, investors funneled $108 billion into defense tech companies, the Washington Post reported in February, citing PitchBook data. #venturecapital #business #funding #investment #vc #tech #enterprise #capital #money #startups #entrepreneurship

Geopolitical flare ups are helping to temper venture capital’s decades-long love affair with software and spark a greater interest in defense technology, according to several startup investors. The wars in Ukraine and Israel have spurred venture capitalists to open their pocketbooks for so-called defense tech, the equipment and systems used to defend national interests, according to a report from AIN Ventures. Between 2021 and 2023, investors funneled $108 billion into defense tech companies, the Washington Post reported in February, citing PitchBook data. For years, private equity and venture capital firms have made big money by investing in software. But the rush to fund software startups will eventually cool, warned Jenny Xiao, a partner at Leonis Capital, at #BrainstormTech. “Software is no longer going to be as good of a business in the next 20 or 30 years. Mostly because of AI—because AI makes it so easy to build software,” Xiao predicted. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eM57JwVD

SCOOP: Andreessen Horowitz, Silicon Valley's largest and best-known venture capital firm, is preparing to open its first D.C. office as it looks to ramp up investments in defense, aerospace and national security startups. #startup #startups #technology #tech #innovation #washingtondc #vc #venture #venturecapital #business #businessarticle #businessnews

European Venture Capital Firm Closed $200 Million Round to Invest in Israeli and European Startups Forestay Capital closed its second fund at $220 million. This fund plans to make 10 to 15 investments of between $10 million to $15 million into startups in Israel and Europe in enterprise AI, data infrastructure, cybersecurity and process automation. Forestay Capital focuses on Israeli startups to help them expand in Europe. Forestay has already started to allocate capital by partnering with three companies, including Israeli cybersecurity startup VERITI. For its irst fund, Forestay backed 13 companies, 3 of them reached unicorn status and two were acquired. The fund’s portfolio includes three Israeli startups – Fornova (business intelligence solutions for the travel & hospitality industry), vcita (small business management software & app) and K2view (it turns data chaos into reusable data products). Source: https://lnkd.in/gDhx--HK

📈 Seraphim Space has officially launched Seraphim Space Ventures II (SSV II), its newest venture capital fund. Building on the success of its inaugural fund, SSV II is poised to catalyze innovation in the burgeoning space sector... Key Highlights: 🔹Strategic Funding: SSV II has already attracted significant capital from notable partners, including Eutelsat. 🔹Investment Focus: The fund targets AI applications, in-orbit computing, space-enabled communications, and microgravity science, supporting startups that push the boundaries of space technology. 🔹Impactful Goals: With an ambition to create a portfolio of 30 global startups, SSV II is strategically positioned to leverage emerging opportunities in a market projected to reach $1.8 trillion by 2035. 🔹Proven Track Record: Building on a legacy of tripling its initial investments with its first fund, Seraphim aims to further drive value and innovation. Read more 👇 https://lnkd.in/efMwz-HP #SpaceTech #VentureCapital #Innovation #SeraphimSpace

According to Startup Nation Central's latest data, since the start of the war, Israeli startups have raised an impressive $3.1 billion in private financing rounds. 📈 Notable acquisitions include Talon Security, Dig Security, and Avalor, reflecting the resilience and innovation driving the industry forward. 💡 Additionally, 20 new venture capital funds have been founded, injecting $2 billion into the ecosystem. 💰 With CEO Avi Hasson foreseeing a 'startup baby boom' post-war, the future looks promising for Israeli tech. Read all about it here 👉 https://okt.to/3g9bSy #TechInnovation #StartupNation #Resilience #IsraeliTech

Countdown Capital, an early-stage #VentureCapital firm specializing in hard tech industrial companies, will close down by March and return invested capital, its founder Jai Malik said in a letter to shareholders. “Funding industrial startups is not inefficient enough to justify our existence,” he wrote. “Larger, multi-stage venture firms are best positioned to generate strong returns on the most valuable industrial startups.” Malik wrote that, despite the firm’s performance to date, he has concluded that new investments are unlikely to yield strong returns. “As a result, I no longer believe that Countdown’s existence is justified, for both our limited partnerships (LPs) and Countdown management,” he wrote. More at #Proactive #ProactiveInvestors #CountdownCapital http://ow.ly/um6f1057HPU

🚀 Exciting News from the Bulgarian venture capital scene!  Bulgaria's New Vision 3 Fund has injected €3M into 7 local pre-seed startups, catalyzing innovation across various sectors in the region. From AI-enhanced diagnostics to social product recommendation platforms, NV3's investments are driving progress and growth. In addition, NV3 has dedicated €1M to foster the expansion of companies like Paperfin, IRIS Solutions, and Swipe.bg. Dive deeper into the details in this article by SeeNews. #Innovation #Bulgaria #VCfunding

Venture Capital is Surging in the Defense Space—And It’s Just the Beginning! VCs like Moonshot Venture Capital, 8VC and Decisive Point are recognizing the urgent need for innovation in defense, driven by a passion for the mission and the desire for change. With return timelines of 5-10 years, VCs are investing heavily—$22B in the top 100 defense companies over the last few years—and this is only the start of an upward innovation curve. But here's the key: the future of defense innovation lies in dual-use tech companies, not defense-only startups. Defense should be a path to revenue, not the end game. The healthiest ecosystems are built by companies that thrive both commercially and in the defense sector. The opportunity is growing. Contact The Outpost at hello@theoutpost.com to see how you can be a part of this. #VentureCapital #DefenseInnovation #DualUseTech #VCFunding #TechGrowth #MissionDriven #GovCon #InnovationEcosystem #TheOutpost

Great article on how venture capital is trying to break into and support the develpoment of next generation platforms, but is contiually hamstrung by the beauracray of the Pentagon. We need a better way to innovate in the DoD and give access to small start up companies to provide innovative, cost effective, and impactful technologies to help protect our nations. https://lnkd.in/eVhxmazG