Lockheed Martin is expanding the reach of its venture capital arm, Lockheed Martin Ventures, into the United Kingdom and Europe to support the development of emerging defence technologies. As part of the initiative, the company is opening a London office and plans to invest at least $100 million across the region.
The expansion follows the company’s decision in April to increase the fund’s investment capacity from $400 million to $1 billion, enabling earlier investment in defence start-ups and accelerating the integration of emerging technologies into defence platforms. The move also reinforces Lockheed Martin’s commitment to strengthening the transatlantic defence industrial base.
“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.”
Supporting this strategy, the investments will focus on technologies that complement Lockheed Martin’s national security capabilities while addressing the growing demand for sovereign defence solutions across the UK and Europe.
“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,” added 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.”
Lockheed Martin Ventures, established in 2007 with an initial $100 million fund, has invested more than $500 million in over 120 companies, including several in Europe. Over the past two years, the fund has added 25 companies to its portfolio and has helped 60 companies mature into suppliers. The company expects to announce additional investments in Europe in the near future.
