How Europe’s Defence Tech Startup Scene is Changing in 2025: Lessons, Startup News, and Insights
The defence tech and dual-use startup ecosystem in Europe is undergoing a transformation in 2025, driven by geopolitical tensions, increased public funding for innovation, and a paradigm shift in how investors perceive deeptech. One name currently making waves is Tekever, Europe’s rising defence tech unicorn, and its achievements are a reflection of broader shifts in the market. This guide explores Tekever’s rise, the impact of new tools and resources on startups, and actionable steps for aspiring entrepreneurs in this exciting sector.
Why Europe is Betting Big on Defence Tech Startups
With €70m raised in May 2025 from investors such as Baillie Gifford and the NATO Innovation Fund, Tekever exemplifies the growth potential of dual-use technologies catering to both civilian and military needs. This growth is tied to:
Increased EU funding for sovereign defence tech startups amid geopolitical uncertainty.
The rise of dual-use products designed for maritime and border security, alongside battlefield reconnaissance.
Venture capital’s growing appetite for scalable deeptech solutions, post-2022.
Tekever: The Defence Tech Unicorn Leading Europe's Charge
Founded in Lisbon in 2001, Tekever became one of Europe’s few defence tech unicorns, raising its valuation above $1 billion. Its success stems from its innovative AI-powered drones, which are used for both military and civilian purposes worldwide.
Key Highlights of Tekever:
Recent Funding: €70m raised in May 2025, backed by Baillie Gifford and the NATO Innovation Fund.
Client Base: Governments and organizations across Europe, Brazil, and Ukraine.
UK Investment: £400m partnership with the Royal Air Force, supporting thousands of jobs in the UK while enhancing Europe’s defence capabilities.
Unique Dual-Use Applications: Tekever's AI drones are deployed for safety missions such as wildlife research and wind farm monitoring, beyond military objectives.
How to Get Started with a Defence Tech Startup
1. Validate Your Idea
Use tools like the F/MS Startup Game, designed for entrepreneurs who want to refine and validate their ideas effectively. It includes:
The SANDBOX Feature: Learn how to build your startup step by step while testing its feasibility.
Help from PlayPal, an AI Friend: A virtual co-founder to guide you through validation tasks based on your industry needs. Learn about PlayPal's featureshere.
2. Secure Funding
Not sure which EU grant fits your startup idea? The F/MS AI Grant Finder and Application Writer is perfect for finding relevant grants and writing compelling applications. Eliminating guesswork, the tool provides tailored recommendations and draft-ready applications to move your funding journey forward.
3. Navigate Legal Complexities
Defence startups often deal with critical contracts. The AI Startup Lawyer platform helps you:
Understand complex agreements such as shareholder contracts or government procurement deals.
Identify harmful clauses and negotiate them effectively.
4. Gain Experience
Watch real-life examples of what a startup journey entails with Malta Entrepreneurial Interviews:
Common Mistakes Aspiring Entrepreneurs Should Avoid
Overlooking Dual-Use Potential: Many defence startups limit their scope to military uses, neglecting lucrative civilian applications such as maritime surveillance.
Skipping Legal Due Diligence: Signing agreements blindly can lead to losses. Verify every clause using AI Startup Lawyer and prepare for negotiations.
Underutilizing AI Planning Tools: Tools like PlayPal can enhance decision-making. Relying solely on manual brainstorming can slow growth.
The Broader Trend: Startup News in 2025
As Europe doubles down on innovation, here’s what startup founders should consider:
VC investment in defence tech has surpassed $2 billion this year, with over 85% of startups reporting faster validation using AI-powered tools.
Sovereign defence strategies pave the way for deeptech startup incubation in the EU.
Tools like PlayPal are revolutionizing collaboration across virtual startup environments.
Explore Startup Resources
If defence-focused deeptech isn’t your niche, there are other emerging startup opportunities that align with this year’s trends. Here’s where to start:
1. Boost Personal Skills
The F/MS Startup Game's Skill Lab Module helps you acquire vital entrepreneurial skills.
2. Create AI Tools
Explore how local startups like PlayPal were founded by entrepreneurs such as Violetta Bonenkamp, who turned multidisciplinary expertise into a game to empower new founders. Learn more about PlayPal’s origins and benefitshere.
Quick Guide: What Makes Your Startup Resilient
Follow these three steps to maximize your potential in 2025:
Focus on Sustainability: Prioritize solutions for long-term applications.
Use Cutting-Edge AI Tools: Whether creating SOPs or personalized grant applications, always keep AI integration in mind.
Build International Partnerships: Learn collaboration strategies from Tekever’s cross-border client network.
Meet PlayPal: Your Startup Ally
Innovation isn’t just about solutions; it’s also about execution. Meet PlayPal, an AI friend-like co-founder that simplifies decision-making, provides tailored feedback, and helps you validate ideas in less time. Created by Violetta Bonenkamp, PlayPal can act as your conversational advisor, helping you enhance productivity.
Conclusion
The European startup ecosystem is rapidly evolving, with defence tech being one of the breakout sectors in 2025. From Tekever’s meteoric rise to funding tools like the AI Grant Finder, opportunities abound for founders looking to impact this dynamic field. By validating ideas with tools like F/MS Startup Game, securing grants efficiently, and avoiding common mistakes, entrepreneurs can carve out space in Europe’s high-tech industries, and beyond.
Ready to bring your idea to life? Start your journey with PlayPal now: Explore your startup game adventure. Success may be just a click away!
FAQ
1. What is Tekever, and why is it significant in Europe’s defence tech ecosystem?
Tekever is a Lisbon-based defence tech startup founded in 2001. It specializes in AI-powered drones for dual-use purposes, such as border surveillance and battlefield reconnaissance, and recently achieved unicorn status in May 2025. Visit Tekever's Official Site
2. What were Tekever’s key funding highlights in 2025?
Tekever raised €70 million in May 2025, backed by prominent investors like Baillie Gifford and NATO Innovation Fund, to expand its defence tech offerings across Europe and globally. Read about the Tekever funding announcement
3. How does Tekever’s technology serve dual-use purposes?
Tekever’s AI-powered drones are used for both civilian applications, such as maritime and wildlife monitoring, and military operations, like surveillance in Ukraine. Check out Tekever UAS Missions
4. What major partnerships has Tekever established in the UK?
Tekever announced a £400m partnership with the UK Royal Air Force, aimed at creating thousands of jobs while bolstering defence capabilities. Explore Tekever’s UK Investment
5. What mistakes should defence tech startup founders avoid in 2025?
Common pitfalls include neglecting dual-use tech potential, skipping legal diligence on contracts, and underutilizing AI tools for planning and validation processes.
6. What tools are recommended for validating a defence tech startup idea?
Tools like the F/MS Startup Game include features such as PlayPal, an AI co-founder, to guide validation and feasibility testing. Learn about PlayPal in F/MS Startup Game
7. Which European organizations are funding defence tech startups?
In addition to investors like Baillie Gifford, programs like the NATO Innovation Fund are actively backing defence tech startups to support sovereign innovation in the EU.
8. What are some applications of Tekever drones beyond military use?
Civilian applications of Tekever’s drones include wildlife research, wind farm monitoring, and maritime security. Discover Tekever's Maritime Innovation
9. How is geopolitical tension driving funding in Europe’s defence tech?
The war in Ukraine and shifting security alliances post-2022 have prompted increased EU and VC funding for dual-use and defence tech startups. Learn about EU Defence Tech Trends
10. How did Tekever transition from bootstrapping to unicorn status?
Despite operating bootstrapped from 2001 to 2022, Tekever grew strategically with a strong client base before raising significant VC funding in 2025, showcasing resilience and scalability. Explore Tekever’s Growth Story
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
Violetta Bonenkamp's expertise in CAD sector, IP protection and blockchain
Violetta Bonenkamp is recognized as a multidisciplinary expert with significant achievements in the CAD sector, intellectual property (IP) protection, and blockchain technology.
CAD Sector:
Violetta is the CEO and co-founder of CADChain, a deep tech startup focused on developing IP management software specifically for CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data. CADChain addresses the lack of industry standards for CAD data protection and sharing, using innovative technology to secure and manage design data.
She has led the company since its inception in 2018, overseeing R&D, PR, and business development, and driving the creation of products for platforms such as Autodesk Inventor, Blender, and SolidWorks.
Her leadership has been instrumental in scaling CADChain from a small team to a significant player in the deeptech space, with a diverse, international team.
IP Protection:
Violetta has built deep expertise in intellectual property, combining academic training with practical startup experience. She has taken specialized courses in IP from institutions like WIPO and the EU IPO.
She is known for sharing actionable strategies for startup IP protection, leveraging both legal and technological approaches, and has published guides and content on this topic for the entrepreneurial community.
Her work at CADChain directly addresses the need for robust IP protection in the engineering and design industries, integrating cybersecurity and compliance measures to safeguard digital assets.
Blockchain:
Violetta’s entry into the blockchain sector began with the founding of CADChain, which uses blockchain as a core technology for securing and managing CAD data.
She holds several certifications in blockchain and has participated in major hackathons and policy forums, such as the OECD Global Blockchain Policy Forum.
Her expertise extends to applying blockchain for IP management, ensuring data integrity, traceability, and secure sharing in the CAD industry.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about best hotels in Italy to work from.
About the Publication
Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic "without any funding and without any code," this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch. The Fe/male Switch team is located in several countries, including the Netherlands and Malta.
Mission and Purpose
Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call "gamepreneurship". By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.
Key Features
The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:
Virtual Startup Building: Create or join startups and tackle real-world challenges
AI Co-founder (PlayPal): Guides users through the startup process
SANDBOX: A testing environment for idea validation before launch
Wellness Integration: Virtual activities to balance work and self-care
Marketplace: Buy or sell expert sessions and tutorials
Impact and Growth
Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:
3,000+ female entrepreneurs in the community
100+ startup tools built
5,000+ pieces of articles and news written
Partnerships
Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.
Recognition
Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique "play to learn and earn" model.