While Europe Debates, Defence Tech Builds Drone Walls; Hugo Jammes on Veteran Talent; Sitehop Raises a £7.5M Seed Round
Issue 43: Plus Dispatches from Finland, Helsing acquires Blue Ocean, the Signal Foundation steps up on the post-quantum battlefield, and hang out with us at Slush
Good afternoon from the team at Resilience Media
With increased Russian drone incursions into NATO airspace, there’s more talk about the feasibility of a drone wall to protect the Eastern Flank. As expected, not everyone in the political sphere agrees about if or how to move forward with this technology. While European policymakers talk about it, startups are ready to deploy it. In a piece we published today, we talk to DefSecIntel Solutions and Origin Robotics about their partnership, as well as the Latvian Ministry of the Interior and Ministry of Defence about its plans to proceed with C-UAS solutions to protect its people. Read the full piece here.
Hugo Jammes, Founding Partner at EDT Ventures, is back with another guest post; this one is about why more defence tech startups and defence-focussed investors should recruit veterans, and why veterans should consider careers in the venture capital ecosystem. The Dealroom and Resilience Media 2025 State of Defence Tech Report highlighted that 14% of defence tech founders and 12% of C-level leadership in European defence tech startups have military or Ministry of Defence experience. With Jammes as evidence, 26% of investors at defence tech specialist funds have military or defence ministry experience (compared with 12% of generalist funds). This is an industry that requires lived experience.
After appearing on the Resilience Conference 2025 stage, Melissa Chambers, Sitehop CEO has just announced their £7.5M Seed Round. Read more in the Funding Announcement section below.
Elsewhere on Resilience Media:
Are you going to Slush? We are and we’re co-hosting a unique side event with Project A, IQT, NIF, Stark, Lakestar, and DIANA. Join us by registering here.
-Leslie Hitchcock, co-founder and Publisher, Resilience Media
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Quantum computing is coming around the corner, and that is driving activity among a wave of startups building tools to secure data against the powerful impact that quantum may have on malicious hacking. In the latest development, UK encryption startup Sitehop has bagged £7.5 million in Series A funding to ramp up production of its ultra-low-latency, quantum-resilient hardware – the kind of kit that could one day sit inside the encrypted networks of Britain’s armed forces and critical infrastructure.
The Sheffield-based firm’s funding round was led by Northern Gritstone, with backing from Amadeus Capital Partners, Mercia Ventures, Manta Ray Ventures, and NPIF. The investment brings Sitehop’s total raised to £13.5 million and will be used to support the company’s international expansion. Read the full piece here.
The 2025 Working with Defence & Security Survey is open for a few more days. We want to hear from you.
Defence and dual-use startups are playing a critical role in global security, but the sector remains opaque. This annual survey aims to shed light on the challenges and opportunities for startups working with defence and security customers. You can contribute in three ways:
If you’re a founder or exec in the sector, take five minutes to complete the survey
Share the link with three colleagues or contacts you think should take part
Follow Working with Defence & Security on LinkedIn to get a copy of the report
Your input will generate evidence that helps founders, investors, and policymakers shape the future of this sector. Take the survey here.
UK-UA Defence Tech Forum
Resilience Media is once more a Media Partner of the 4th UK-UA Defence Tech Forum, which is taking place on 18th November at RUSI in London with the official support of the Embassy of Ukraine in the UK.
The series of conferences was convened to enhance the collaboration between Ukrainian, British and international defence tech firms, together with the VC community, to scale up production and speed up R&D and new innovations. To date the series has attracted over 750 participants and registration has had to be closed well in advance of each event. Highlights include a pitch session featuring 15 hand-picked leading Ukrainian defence tech companies designed to create partnerships with international counterparts and to meet with leading VCs.
Resilience Media readers receive a 25% discount on the registration fee. When registering on the Forum webpage simply enter the code Resilience25. For any questions contact the organisers at: stephen.butler@strategy-council.com .
A Stalemate of Surprises: Ukraine’s Frontline Insights with Come Back Alive
Tue 14 Oct 2025 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM BST. The Department of War Studies welcomes Come Back Alive, Ukraine’s leading civil society organisation working at the intersection of defence policy and veteran support. Senior Analyst Mykola Bielieskov will speak about Ukraine’s security challenges, the role of analytical expertise and civil society in shaping state defenсe policy, and the continuing impact of Russia’s full-scale war.
This seminar offers a rare opportunity to engage with frontline perspectives on modern warfare, civil-military partnerships, and the security challenges Ukraine faces in the largest war in Europe since 1945. Register here.
British parts found in Russian drones, Zelesnky says The Ukrainian leader says British-made microcomputers were used in weapons launched at Ukraine this weekend.
12 European defence tech soonicorns to watch Two startups hit $1bn valuations already this year — who’s next?
KROOK 1 deep strike drone – Ukraine’s answer to the Shahed The pulsejet engine enables the Krook 1 drone to reach speeds of up to 400 km/h. Read more on Defender Media.
New defence deals with India deepen strategic partnership and boosts UK business A new £350 million deal with India will support hundreds of jobs in Northern Ireland and supply India, a key strategic partner, with air defence missiles and launchers.
Space tech startup Akashalabdhi raises $1.2 Mn in pre seed round Akashalabdhi, a space tech startup developing expandable space habitats and dual use defense technologies, has raised $1.2 million in a pre seed funding round.
Unmanned boats are opening a lethal new front in naval warfare Ultra-fast, crewless vessels now rule the waves – and Nato navies are queuing up to deploy the high-tech new craft
Edited to correct the Sitehop round to a £7.5M Seed
Great. Looking forward to welcoming you to Finland in November. Definitely not the time of year to visit it's called "Slush" for a reason!