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Lockheed Martin Earmarks $100 Million for Venture Capital Investments in U.K., Europe

Lockheed Martin is expanding the reach of its venture capital fund to support development of promising defense technologies in British and European markets. Lockheed Martin Ventures, the company's $1 billion startup investment arm, is opening a London office with the goal of investing at least $100 million of its funding in the United Kingdom and Europe.

"We are reaching even deeper into the investing ecosystem, meeting our potential partners where they are," said Chris Moran, vice president and general manager, Lockheed Martin Ventures. "Our presence will help us seize opportunities for investing earlier in the startup lifecycle, ensure technical interoperability with existing platforms, and better support our allied customers." 

The decision follows the largest boost in available capital in the fund's history, when the company announced in April that it would boost investment capacity from $400 million to $1 billion. Using a portion of that enhanced funding capacity, Lockheed Martin Ventures Europe will accelerate the insertion of new technologies into defense technology — part of the company's commitment to strengthen the transatlantic defense industrial base.

"We are looking to invest in technologies that complement the company's national security capabilities and help advance solutions to meet current and future customer mission needs, while further strengthening the transatlantic defense industrial base," said Dan Tenney, senior vice president of Global Business Development and Strategy. "We expect our investment strategy to evolve as technologies emerge and the startup environment matures in markets where we do business around the world."

Why it Matters

The decision by Lockheed Martin Ventures leverages rapid increases in venture capital investment, particularly in the United Kingdom and Europe.

European customers increasingly seek sovereign capabilities, and as the world's largest aerospace and defense company, Lockheed Martin is uniquely positioned to accelerate their development.

The investments will help strengthen the defense industrial base and increase the resilience of our supply chain, generating economic benefits for the United States and our allies.

Lockheed Martin Ventures has already invested in a number of promising companies in Europe, with more deals expected to close soon.

Facts and Figures

Lockheed Martin Ventures is one of the most active and longest continuously operated Aerospace and Defense corporate venture capital firms in the United States. Since its founding it has matured 60 companies to become suppliers.

Lockheed Martin Ventures was founded in 2007 with initial funding of $100 million.

To date, it has invested more than $500 million in more than 120 companies, including several in European markets.