Lockheed Martin is expanding its venture capital operations into the United Kingdom and Europe, opening a London office and committing at least $100 million of its $1 billion Lockheed Martin Ventures fund to investments in British and European defense technology startups. The move follows Lockheed Martin’s April 2026 decision to more than double the fund’s investment capacity from $400 million to $1 billion — the largest capital increase in the fund’s history.
Lockheed Martin Ventures was founded in 2007 with an initial $100 million commitment and has since invested more than $500 million across more than 120 companies, maturing 60 of those into active suppliers. The fund has added 25 portfolio companies in the past two years alone and has already made several investments in European companies, with additional deals expected to close in the near term.
The European expansion is driven by a confluence of strategic factors. Demand for sovereign defense capabilities has accelerated among European NATO allies, particularly in the wake of sustained geopolitical instability, creating a more active startup and venture ecosystem across the UK and continental Europe. Lockheed Martin Ventures Europe will focus on technologies that complement Lockheed Martin’s national security capabilities and address current and future customer mission requirements, while also strengthening supply chain resilience across the transatlantic defense industrial base. The London office is intended to allow the fund to engage earlier in the startup lifecycle and ensure technical interoperability between portfolio companies and Lockheed Martin’s existing platforms.
Beyond capital, Lockheed Martin Ventures offers portfolio companies access to the company’s engineering talent, research facilities, and technical and business expertise — a resource set that distinguishes corporate venture arms from independent financial investors in the defense technology space.
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“We are reaching even deeper into the investing ecosystem, meeting our potential partners where they are. 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.”
Chris Moran, Vice President and General Manager, Lockheed Martin Ventures
“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. We expect our investment strategy to evolve as technologies emerge and the startup environment matures in markets where we do business around the world.”
Dan Tenney, Senior Vice President of Global Business Development and Strategy, Lockheed Martin
