Maritime Defense AI Primed for Big Investment; European Nations Launch Interceptor Initiative

INNOVATION

Air Force ramps up B-21 Raider production capacity, aims for 2027 delivery

A $4.5 billion spending boost for the B-21 program outlined by lawmakers as part of the 2025 reconciliation package will help fund the accelerated production.

Bcore’s Chad Kim Is Ready for This Acquisition Reform Moment

Bcore CEO Chad Kim has spent the last few years building his business for this new era of faster, more streamlined defense acquisition. Now he’s ready to meet the moment.

INVESTMENT

7 Best Defense ETFs to Buy for 2026

Geopolitical conflict is stoking investment in defense ETFs, which offer investors exposure to reliable and emerging leaders.

AI

Maritime Defense AI Could Be the Next Big Investment Opportunity in Venture Capital

With the United States engaged in geopolitical conflicts on three continents around the globe, and U.S. defense spending near its all-time dollar peak, valuations of defense technology startups driven by AI have been soaring.

Agentic AI and the Pentagon’s Integration Challenge

Agentic AI is quickly moving from demo to deployment inside the Department of Defense. But what does it actually mean to give AI “agency” — and what does it take to make those systems work on real military networks?

TECHNOLOGY

Vanderbilt co-hosts inaugural Defense Tech Leadership Summit in West Palm Beach

In opening remarks, Chancellor Daniel Diermeier emphasized the role universities play in advancing research and translating ideas into real-world impact.

“One of our hallmarks at Vanderbilt is our practice of what we call radical collaboration—reaching across disciplines and sectors to solve problems and invent things faster and better than we could on our own,” Diermeier said. “This event is radical collaboration brought to life.”

The Lone Star Synthesis: Why Israeli Defense Tech is Migrating to the Heart of Texas

As Israeli defense innovators seek speed, scale, and frontline access to U.S. military decision-making, Austin has become a strategic launchpad—melding Israeli ingenuity with Texas’ resources, culture, and regulatory agility

POLICY

Pentagon’s spending plan doubles down on land, air, sea robots

A look at new tech efforts in the Pentagon’s $151 billion reconciliation allocation plan.

EUROPE

European Defense Tech: How Investors Should Think

A few years ago, defense was still a taboo word in most European venture conversations. Today, it’s one of the most dynamic corners of the ecosystem: European defense and security tech funding reached record levels in 2024 and remained elevated in 2025, with defense emerging as one of the fastest-growing segments of the European VC market.

European Nations Launch Interceptor Initiative

The new “multi-million euro” project—known as the Low-Cost Effectors & Autonomous Platforms’ initiative, or LEAP—will “see the development of advanced low-cost air defence systems – such as autonomous drones or missiles,” according to a statement by the UK government.