BVVC's National Security Investing Focus with Joe Musselman

 Quantum Systems secures $1.2B for European defense tech Closed in late June but still shaping investor sentiment heading into July, this DeepTech round at an $8 billion valuation is one of the largest ever raised by a European defense startup. It's being read across the industry as proof that Europe can compete for mega-rounds in defense and deeptech without copying Silicon Valley's consumer-first playbook — a message resonating strongly with founders operating outside the US ecosystem. #DefenseTech #Europe #DeepTech

 Quantum Systems secures $1.2B for European defense tech Closed in late June but still shaping investor sentiment heading into July, this deeptech round at an $8 billion valuation is one of the largest ever raised by a European defense startup. It's being read across the industry as proof that Europe can compete for mega-rounds in defense and DeepTech without copying Silicon Valley's consumer-first playbook — a message resonating strongly with founders operating outside the US ecosystem. #DefenseTech #Europe #DeepTech

Registration is now open for the DIB Accelerator 2026 (DIBX) – the Defense Industrial Base Consortium’s event focused on revolutionizing defense investment! 📍 Philadelphia, PA | August 25–27, 2026 | Pennsylvania Convention Center This action-oriented gathering brings together Department of War leaders, interagency partners, global allies, private capital investors, and small business innovators to accelerate defense manufacturing, scale critical technologies, and strengthen supply chain resilience. With the theme “Revolutionizing Defense Investment,” expect unparalleled opportunities including: Key Highlights: It features an interactive Exhibit Hall, a live pitch competition, and a “Solutions Proving Ground” for diagnosing operational challenges, as well as various plenary and breakout sessions. For more information see post below. #DIBX2026 #DefenseIndustrialBase #SmallBusiness #SBIR #Manufacturing #AlaskaSmallBusiness

5 founders just exited their companies. All 5 are already building again. Just a new company and a fresh registry filing. This week's batch: a Gamma founder (sold to Palo Alto Networks) building payment infra, a Civil Maps founder (sold to Luminar) gone stealth, and 3 more moving before the news does. Swipe for the full list. Follow Gravity to be in on the earliest moments of enduring companies.

Andreessen Horowitz hires defense tech investor Connor Love for its American Dynamism team, marking a strategic pivot that elevates defense and space technology as a top venture asset class managing $90 billion in assets. Andreessen Horowitz has hired Connor Love, a military veteran and prominent defense and space technology investor, to join its American Dynamism team, signaling a strategic deepening of the firm’s commitment to startups critical to U.S. national interests . This move matters because it cementes defense technology as a top-tier venture asset class, reshaping how business leaders, investors, and ambitious professionals must evaluate market opportunities in the intersection of geopolitics and innovation . The significance of this hiring extends beyond personnel; it reflects a billion-dollar shift in Silicon Valley capital flows toward "American Dynamism," a movement defined by investing in companies that support national security, energy, public safety, and logistics .... Continue reading 🔗: https://lnkd.in/ehR_Uth9 #DefenseTech #VentureCapital #AmericanDynamism #AndreessenHorowitz #SpaceTech

[Event Report] The first Global Defense Startup Ecosystem survey (RAIS) On June 24, 2026, the Research Institute for Advanced Innovation and GeoStrategy (RAIS) held the first Global Defense Start-up Ecosystem Survey as part of the RAIS Program. The survey invites leading overseas defense startups and ecosystem stakeholders for discussion and networking with representatives of companies. 🔗Learn more here:  https://lnkd.in/gtkevZzh

We were excited to see Obviant's acquisition data and analysis featured in today's The Wall Street Journal showing how the United States Department of War is increasing purchases from defense startups. Our analysis shows DoW contract obligations to new entrants have grown since 2021, reaching a 5-year high of $385M in 2025. Read the article from Heather Somerville here: https://lnkd.in/eAEfCZZG Methodology in comments. Shield Capital Michael A. Brown

Last week we announced $9.3M in total seed funding, led by Inovia Capital with Sorenson Capital, Alumni Ventures, Launchpod and Christopher Key Key, former CPO of Mandiant. The thing I care about most isn't the raise. It's that we keep winning competitive evaluations against the incumbents customers were already paying, because we catch the attacks those tools wave through. That's the whole GTM story. We don't win on a longer feature list. We win when a security team runs us against what's actually hitting their inboxes, the business email compromise with no link, the vendor fraud that passes every authentication check, and sees us reason through intent the way their best analyst would. The new funding goes into GTM and platform expansion, so more teams can run that same evaluation, as we prepare for our next phase of growth and a planned Series A. If you've ever watched a "clean" email nearly trigger an irreversible wire, that's the conversation I want to have. Riz . Alan LeFort Joshua Bass

I recently joined Natu Myers on the Raises.com Top Capital Raiser Show to talk about something that has shaped most of my post-military career: How veteran-led companies can help rebuild and modernize the defense industrial base. We covered a lot of ground, including: • Why Veteran Ventures Capital focuses on veteran-led, dual-use defense technology • How we think about Series A discipline, minority ownership, and active support • Why non-dilutive government funding can be a force multiplier when paired with the right equity capital • How defense tech investors should think about customer concentration, government revenue, and commercial pull • Why relationships, trust, and execution still matter more than pitch-deck polish One point I keep coming back to (those who know me have heard this a thousand times): veteran founders are often uniquely equipped for this market. They understand mission urgency. They understand complex procurement environments. They understand what it means to execute when the stakes are high. But the veteran entrepreneurship ecosystem still has a capital access problem. At Veteran Ventures Capital, our job is to help close that gap by bringing aligned capital, defense market experience, and a network that can help founders move from promising technology to a scalable company. Defense tech is not a short-term fad. It is part of a larger structural shift in how the U.S. and allied nations think about resilience, deterrence, manufacturing capacity, and national security innovation. Appreciate Natu and the Raises.com team for having me on. You can watch the full conversation here: https://hubs.ly/Q04ncQ510 #DefenseTech #VentureCapital #VeteranEntrepreneurs #DualUse #NationalSecurity #VeteranVenturesCapital

Interesting data on new government efforts to give startups in capex-heavy industries the capital they need to survive the so-called "Valley of Death" More here from Silicon Valley Defense Group: https://lnkd.in/ek2vH8-J