$100M pledged for Ukrainian defence tech: commitments from NUNC Capital, Verne Capital, Varangians and Oedipus

Four international investment firms have pledged to invest $100 million into Ukrainian defence tech. The announcements were made at the Brave1 Defence Tech Valley 2025 summit, held in Lviv on 16–17 September.

The Netherlands-based NUNC Capital committed €20 million to a new Venture Creation Initiative aimed at boosting Ukraine’s defence innovation ecosystem. According to the Brave1 cluster, NUNC Capital has already prepared a concrete business case in the “New Materials” sector, designed to reduce Ukraine’s reliance on foreign support, create new jobs, and strengthen the national economy.

Verne Capital, a German-Luxembourg venture fund specialising in European defence, security, and cybersecurity companies, announced plans to invest up to €25 million in Ukrainian defence innovations.

Sweden’s Varangians investment firm revealed a large-scale investment plan for Ukraine and confirmed that it has already closed its first deal, though details remain undisclosed. In an earlier interview, the firm’s CEO said Varangians intended to invest €10 million in Ukrainian defence tech by the end of 2025.

Meanwhile, Oedipus Inc. announced its launch at the summit as the first permanent capital fund in Europe focused exclusively on defence technologies. Its founding team brings years of experience investing in autonomous technologies developed in Ukraine. The fund is expected to unveil ambitious plans for partnerships in the Ukrainian defence sector in the near future.

The largest public investment deal in Ukrainian defence tech to date was also confirmed during the summit: Swarmer, a defence AI startup, raised $15 million from US investors, as Defender Media previously reported.

“Since 2024, thanks to the work of Brave1, Ukrainian defence companies have already attracted $90 million in investment, with the average ticket size rising from $300,000 to $1 million,” noted Mykhailo Fedorov, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine.

EU Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius added: “Our task now is to integrate Ukraine’s defence industry with Europe’s, so we can support and learn from each other to strengthen the security not only of Ukraine but of the entire European continent.”

According to Brave1, the summit brought together more than 300 investors from across Europe and North America.