How many total Defense Contractors companies are there in Europe?

As of May 2026, Europe has 538 active Defense Contractors companies.

How many Defense Contractors companies in Europe are funded?

As of May 2026, 97 companies have received funding in this sector.

What is the total funding raised by Defense Contractors companies in Europe?

Defense Contractors companies in Europe have collectively raised $3.09B in funding till date.

Which is the highest funded Defense Contractors company in Europe?

As of May 2026, TERMA has raised $115M in funding, highest among the funded Defense Contractors companies in Europe.

List of 552 Defense Contractors Startups in Europe & Market Trends (May 2026)

Q: Who are the top investors in Defense Contractors companies in Europe?

The top investors in Defense Contractors companies in Europe by number of investments are European Union and Gov.uk.

1. Airbus

Manufacturer of commercial aircraft, helicopters, satellites, and launch vehicles. It offers airbus corporate jets, cyber security management, intelligence, secure land communication, and innovative technology solutions for aerospace industry. It also provides efficient civil and military rotorcraft solutions and services worldwide. In 2022, the company recorded annual revenues of $60.87B and a net profit of $3.63B.

Key facts about Airbus

Founded Year: 1969
Location: Toulouse (France)
Stage: Public
Investors: GPI Capital, CPP Investments and 7 Others
Latest Funding Round: Grant (prize money), Oct 01, 2023, $*****
Tracxn Score: 70/100 What is this?
Competitors Rank: 2 of 939 Competitors

2. QinetiQ

Provider of a suite of systems for security solutions. It provides users with technical services and products in the defence, security and aerospace fields and a majority of its revenues are generated by the services, and its primary customers are governments and defence departments. It also develops security robots for remote surveillance and cargo handling robot for the military.

Key facts about QinetiQ

Founded Year: 2001
Location: Farnborough (United Kingdom)
Stage: Public
Investors: Partners For Growth, The Carlyle Group and 4 Others
Latest Funding Round: Grant (prize money), Feb 24, 2021, $*****
Tracxn Score: 68/100 What is this?
Competitors Rank: 4 of 869 Competitors

View full list of companies in this sector

3. BAE Systems

Manufacturer of aerospace and submarine security systems. It provides provide some of the technology-led defence, aerospace, and security solutions and employ a skilled workforce. In 2022, the company recorded annual revenues of $26.18B and a net profit of $1.96B.

Key facts about BAE Systems

Founded Year: 1999
Location: London (United Kingdom)
Stage: Public
Investors: DARPA, Lockheed Martin and 7 Others
Latest Funding Round: Post IPO, Sep 04, 2025, $*****
Tracxn Score: 64/100 What is this?
Competitors Rank: 10 of 869 Competitors

4. Kongsberg

Provider of multi-utility robots for industrial applications. It offers deck systems, positioning systems, navigation systems, autonomous underwater vehicles, unmanned surface vehicles, marine automation, surveillance systems, and motion sensors. It develops defense and space-related systems and products, with a focus on anti-ship missiles, military communications, and command and weapons control systems. It also provides digital solutions such as maritime simulation, and automation to companies within the petroleum industry, renewable energy, and the utility industry.

Key facts about Kongsberg

Founded Year: 1814
Location: Kongsberg (Norway)
Stage: Public
Investors: Artemis and European Union
Latest Funding Round: Grant (prize money), Oct 01, 2021, $*****
Tracxn Score: 62/100 What is this?
Competitors Rank: 12 of 869 Competitors

5. Rolls-Royce

Developer of power and propulsion solutions for safety-critical applications. The company provides products and service packages that enable connections between people, societies, cultures, and economies. It offers solutions for civil aerospace, defense, and power systems. The company also focuses on alternative fuels, advanced nuclear technologies, and digital platforms.

Key facts about Rolls-Royce

Founded Year: 1906
Location: London (United Kingdom)
Stage: Acquired
Investors: ValueAct Capital, BlackRock and 10 Others
Latest Funding Round: Grant (prize money), Jul 22, 2024, $*****
Tracxn Score: 62/100 What is this?
Competitors Rank: 13 of 869 Competitors

Access the full list of 552 Defense Contractors Startups in Europe

Companies founded year-on-year in the Defense Contractors sector in Europe

28 Defense Contractors startups in Europe were founded in 2020 - this is the most number of startups founded in any year in the last 10 years.

Total Number of Companies

Year	No. of companies
2025	-
2024	10
2023	10
2022	12
2021	15
2020	28
2019	16
2018	14
2017	11
2016	13

Stage-wise distribution of Defense Contractors sector companies in Europe

Out of the total 552 Defense Contractors companies in Europe, 97 have secured funding. Among them, 90 have reached Series A or higher, and 85 to Series B or beyond.

Founded - 552

Funded - 97

Series A+ - 90

Series B+ - 85

Series C+ - 85

Company Stage	No. of companies
Founded	552
Funded	97
Series A+	90
Series B+	85
Series C+	85

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Total funding year-on-year in the Defense Contractors sector in Europe

The Defense Contractors sector in Europe saw a total funding of more than $2.21B in the last 10 years. The most amount of funding was in 2018 at more than $592M.

Total Funding

Year	Total Funding
2025	$104M
2024	$210M
2023	$191M
2022	$122M
2021	$450M
2020	$294M
2019	$36.9M
2018	$592M
2017	$71.7M

Recent Funding Rounds in Defense Contractors in Europe

In the year 2025, till July 2025, Defense Contractors companies in Europe have raised $17.7M in equity funding across 2 rounds. In the same period last year (i.e. till June 2024), Defense Contractors companies in Europe had raised $118M across 3 rounds. So, 2025 has seen a 85.02% drop in funding in Defense Contractors companies in Europe as compared to 2024.

Here are some recent, important funding rounds in Defense Contractors companies in Europe:

Company	Round Raised	Amount Raised	Funding Date	Investors
Delian	Series A	2732	Jul 29, 2025	Air Street Capital and 5 more
Tencore	Series A	9828	Jul 11, 2025	MITS Capital
Airvolve	Seed	8324	Sep 04, 2024	CoInvest Capital and 1 more
TERMA	Series D	6114	Jun 19, 2024	ATP
Unmanned Defense Systems	Series A	4101	May 24, 2024	CoInvest Capital and 6 more

See a more detailed list of funding rounds

European Union is the top investor in Defense Contractors companies in Europe based on number of companies invested.

Here are some top investors in Defense Contractors companies in Europe:

Investor	Location	Top Portfolio Companies
European Union	Brussels (Belgium)	Airbus, QinetiQ, BAE Systems and Kongsberg
Gov.uk	London (United Kingdom)	QinetiQ, BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce
Bayerisches Landesportal	Munich (Germany)	Airbus and Rolls-Royce
Ministères Aménagement du territoire Transition écologique	Paris (France)	Airbus and ONERA
AIAC	New York City (United States)	Senior

See a more detailed list of investors

In the year 2025, till September 2025, 8 acquisitions happened in Defense Contractors sector in Europe. Last year, in 2024, a total of 9 acquisitions happened in Defense Contractors sector in Europe.

Here are some recent, important acquisitions in Defense Contractors sector in Europe:

Company	Acquisition Type	Acquisition Date	Acquirers
Protection Group	Business Acquisition	Sep 04, 2025	Foreman
SAFE4U	Business Acquisition	Aug 29, 2025	defensorgroup.se
Aeromet	Business Acquisition	Aug 19, 2025	Pursuit Aerospace
Deform	Business Acquisition	Aug 18, 2025	Saab
Deform	Business Acquisition	Aug 18, 2025	Saab

See a more detailed list of acquisitions

Acquisition trends in Defense Contractors sector in Europe

Here are the acquisition trends in Defense Contractors sector in Europe:

Total Number of Acquisitions

Year	No. of companies
2025	8
2024	9
2023	4
2022	3
2021	2
2020	7
2019	5
2018	5
2017	3
2016	2

In the year 2024, till December 2024, 5 IPOs happened in Defense Contractors sector in Europe.

Here are some recent, important IPOs in Defense Contractors sector in Europe:

Company	IPO Date	Exchange Symbol
Astor Group	Dec 12, 2024	Boerse Stuttgart (STU)
Astor Group	Aug 29, 2024	Nordic Growth Market (NGM)
Airbus	May 03, 2024	Madrid Stock Exchange (BME)
RENK	Feb 09, 2024	Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FRA)
RENK	Feb 07, 2024	Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FRA)

See a more detailed list of IPOs

Companies founded by alumni from top colleges in the Defense Contractors in Europe

Most number of Defense Contractors startups in Europe have been founded by alumni from London Business School (LBS), Monash University and Technical University of Munich.