Defense

201 Ventures Fund I is a $22 million early-stage venture capital fund launched in January 2024 and managed by solo General Partner Eric Slesinger, a former CIA officer. Headquartered in Madrid, the fund is dedicated to advancing freedom and autonomy across Europe by investing in pre-seed and seed-stage companies developing cutting-edge technologies in defense, intelligence, and dual-use sectors. The fund has garnered support from the NATO Innovation Fund, underscoring its strategic significance in bolstering European technological sovereignty. The fund's investment thesis centers on identifying and supporting founders with deep technical expertise and a strong drive to solve complex problems. 201 Ventures seeks out companies that embrace technical risk and ambition, focusing on areas such as hypersonics, biosecurity, subsurface mapping, maritime sensing, and Arctic autonomy. By targeting startups with innovative products and unique advantages in large, strategic markets, the fund aims to build a diversified portfolio that can effectively manage risk and deliver substantial returns. 201 Ventures Fund I has already made notable investments in companies like Delian Alliance Industries (Greece), Ionlace (Sweden), Deep Earth (Germany), and Isembard (UK), reflecting its pan-European focus. The fund's proactive approach includes active involvement in its portfolio companies, providing not just capital but also strategic guidance to help them reach cash flow breakeven and achieve clear exit strategies. This hands-on methodology is designed to add value beyond financial investment, fostering the growth of companies that contribute to Europe's strategic autonomy.

Arcline Capital Partners IV is the fourth flagship vehicle raised by Arcline Investment Management, closing at $6 billion in October 2025 after a rapid sub-10-month fundraising cycle. The fund significantly exceeded its initial $5 billion target, reflecting strong institutional demand for Arcline’s consistent, industrial-focused investment strategy. Legal counsel for the fundraise was provided by Kirkland & Ellis. The vehicle maintains Arcline’s emphasis on technology-led industrial platforms, with investments targeted across a diverse set of sectors including defense, aerospace, industrial technology, life sciences, energy transition, and specialty materials. These industries align with the firm's long-standing belief in secular tailwinds and thematic value creation. Fund IV focuses on acquiring or partnering with middle-market companies in North America, particularly those with enterprise values of up to $3 billion and annual revenues up to $1 billion. Arcline’s hands-on, operationally intensive approach is designed to accelerate growth through digital enablement, carve-out execution, and management team collaboration. The fund is positioned to benefit from long-term macroeconomic and geopolitical trends such as supply chain reshoring, defense modernization, and industrial decarbonization. Arcline seeks to leverage these dynamics through platform consolidation, carve-outs from larger corporations, and investment in companies where technology transformation is a value lever.

Since its founding in 1999, Arlington Capital Partners has carved out a specialty in investing in companies operating in regulated, mission‑critical industries such as defence, aerospace, government services and healthcare IT. With Fund VII, the firm builds on its legacy by raising an unprecedented US$6 billion in commitments—a marked increase over its prior fund—demonstrating the strength of investor conviction around structural trends in national security, supply‑chain reshoring, and government‑technology modernization. Fund VII will deploy capital into platform investments across sectors including manufacturing and supply‑chain resiliency, mission‑critical government software, next‑generation defence technologies, cybersecurity, commercial aviation, advanced medical devices and healthcare IT. The fund aims to partner with management teams in companies with strong regulatory barriers, recurring government demand, and defensible business models, leveraging Arlington’s domain expertise in regulated markets. The geographic focus is principally in the U.S. and allied markets, consistent with the firm’s strategy of backing companies operating in the context of rising defence budgets and national‑security imperatives. By targeting assets in sectors with high certainty of long‑term demand and regulatory anchoring, the fund seeks to generate attractive returns while also aligning with public‑policy tailwinds. From a financial‑characteristics perspective the fund is targeting middle‑market companies—investments are expected to be in companies with enterprise values typically in the range of US$50 million to US$1 billion, and equity investments (platform check sizes) in the ballpark of US$200 million to US$500 million.

Founders Fund Growth III is the third growth-stage venture fund from Founders Fund, a San Francisco-based firm co-founded by Peter Thiel. The fund closed at $4.6 billion in April 2025, surpassing its initial $3 billion target, with participation from 270 limited partners. This fund focuses on late-stage investments in sectors such as artificial intelligence, defense technology, and advanced manufacturing. Founders Fund aims to support companies that are developing transformative technologies with significant long-term impact. With a history of backing companies like SpaceX, Stripe, and Anduril, Founders Fund Growth III continues the firm's strategy of investing in high-growth startups poised to become industry leaders.

J.F. Lehman & Company (“JFLCO”)'s is a continuation fund for JFL Credit Opportunities I, L.P. Credit Fund I’s assets under management include new capital commitments as well as the portfolio of credit positions formerly held indirectly by JFL Equity Investor VI, L.P. and its affiliates (“Fund VI”) in high-quality, middle-market companies within the firm’s target industries (aerospace, defense, government, maritime, environmental and infrastructure sectors). Pantheon, a leading global private markets investor, acted as the lead investor, with StepStone Group also participating. JFLCO’s credit strategy is opportunistic in nature, spanning syndicated credit, secondary direct lending and distressed situations across the firm’s core industries.

The European Defence and Security Tech Fund is a €125 million venture capital vehicle launched by Keen Venture Partners to back early-stage technology companies innovating in defence, security, and space. Anchored by a €40 million investment from the European Investment Fund (EIF) under the European Commission’s Defence Equity Facility, the fund is one of the first dedicated initiatives aimed at enhancing Europe’s strategic autonomy in defence innovation. The fund targets 20 to 25 companies operating at the seed to Series B stages, focusing on advanced technologies such as cyber defence, artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, robotics, and space security. Keen Venture Partners aims to identify and support startups that can contribute to Europe's dual-use capabilities and resilience in an increasingly complex geopolitical environment. Operating out of Amsterdam and London, Keen Venture Partners brings a thesis-driven, founder-centric approach. The team’s previous track record in deeptech investments and partnerships with institutional actors positions the fund to become a central actor in the European defence tech ecosystem. The vehicle is open to startups across the EU, the UK, Norway, and Turkey.

The Manulife Capital Partners VII (MCP VII) private credit fund has closed at $752m and will focus on 20-30 portfolio companies with over $20m in EBITDA. The fund will target sectors including business services, industrial manufacturing, aerospace and defence, as well as building products. MCP VII aims to provide high yield with equity upside through investment of junior credit capital in US middle market companies. It is backed by a global investor base of institutional and private capital investors, including a capital commitment from Manulife. The fund's investment approach includes a target mix of subordinated and second-lien debt and structured and common equity, allowing for meaningful participation in growth balanced by the potential for double-digit yield. The veteran team has deployed more than US$3.3 billion into 126 companies as a result of their experience and ability to bring flexible capital to a selective portfolio of companies that meet their investment criteria. The fund is managed by Josh Liebow and Matt Szwarc, who serve as Portfolio Managers.