Project A

A new chapter in European defence has begun. When European National Security was tested in 2022, the message became unmistakable: Europe needed to build its own security infrastructure. STARK was founded 18 months ago to answer operational challenges NATO identified on the ground – creating autonomous defence systems that are software-defined, rapidly deployable, and built for the realities of modern conflict. Since then, STARK has become one of Europe's fastest-growing defence technology companies. Today, we’re investing in STARK alongside Sequoia Capital, NATO Innovation Fund (NIF), and IQT, and our General Partner, Uwe Horstmann, is stepping in as CEO. We believe deeply in European Resilience as an operational imperative. The ability to design, build, and deploy critical defence technology in Europe isn't just strategic, it's essential for our democracies. Uwe and Jack will continue shaping our European Resilience thesis as this frontier moves quickly. Let’s build the future.

When Resourcly first crossed my desk, I was sceptical. Inventory management is a crowded space, with strong incumbents, and often low defensibility. Then I spoke with Helena and Ian. They weren't pitching inventory management. They were solving a data problem costing manufacturers millions: Part A and Part B are functionally identical, just from different suppliers with different serial numbers. Systems see them as distinct. Procurement orders both. Globally, $200 billion in working capital gets trapped annually. I wanted to learn more. Over the course of our due diligence, Helena and Ian showed me they were ready to pivot strategically after listening to their customers, smartly adapt their positioning, and speak the language of the manufacturing world, which is crucial in this industry. But most importantly, they tripled their ARR and 5x’d a pilot within weeks by securing a solid six-figure ARR. As we announce Project A's €2.7M investment in Resourcly's seed round, I reflect on how I knew this was a team we wanted to partner with and the opportunity we see in this market. 🚀 Feel free to give it a read. Link in comments. 👇 Resourcly is hiring. 📣

The tech required to intercept flying Shahed drone in the air at 300km/hour it is significantly more difficult than hitting stationary ground targets with FPV drones. With Russian drones flying into European airspace on a weekly basis, Anne Sraders (Sifted), Eveline Buchatskiy (D3), Agris Kipurs (Origin Robotics) and I discuss #CUAS start-ups and its role in the European drone wall defence stack. #defence #defense #startups #vc #tech https://lnkd.in/ezxRkQKw

Most manufacturers don’t have a supply problem. They have a visibility problem. Billions of idle parts, critical shortages, siloed data, and bloated long-tail spend, add up to massive waste – and avoidable risk – for manufacturers. Resourcly, led by industry insiders Helena Most and Ian Draxten, turns that waste into +15% of working capital. Their agent-based AI harmonises fragmented and siloed data, eliminating part redundancies and recommending qualified alternatives across companies' full inventories. We led their €2.7M seed round because this is the kind of operational edge the sector needs: built by founders who know the system from the inside. Resourcly is hiring across all teams. If you want to help build more resilient and circular manufacturing in Europe, join them. All open roles are linked in the comments. 👇 📰 Read more about Resourcly in Sofia Chesnokova exclusive coverage for Tech Funding News. Florian Heinemann, Philipp Werner, Ciara Gumsheimer

Join our finance team in Berlin. ⭐ Help shape the backbone of our €1.2B pre-seed & seed VC. From fund ops to performance analysis and investor reporting. Full description and application: https://lnkd.in/eEDyY7UJ Know someone who’d be a great fit? Tag them below.

Who needs pitch decks when you’ve got pretzels and Weisswurst? Yesterday, we teamed up with our friends at DTCP and Notion Capital to bring together founders and builders over a classic Bavarian breakfast: Weisswurst, pretzels, and (optional!) Maß beers. Between bites and beers, we overheard and joined some chats about building in manufacturing and deep tech. It's a clear sign of Munich’s evolution into a real powerhouse in these fields. Thanks to everyone who came out despite Oktoberfest tiredness and the rainy weather. Seh’ ma uns nächst’s Jahr wieder! 🥨 Ciara Gumsheimer, Miha Pavlovic, Jannic Meyer, Oskar Nikolas Lingk, Johann Friederich

Project A is the top pre-seed / seed investor in European defence start-ups since 2019. We have led or participated in more than 12 rounds in defence and dual-use applications. The highest number in Europe at early stage. We are proud to partner with the next generation of European defence and resilience innovators: Quantum Systems, ARX Robotics, Labrys, Project Q, and many more in stealth! If you are ideating, building or looking for your first investment partner in this space, we want to hear from you. Uwe Horstmann, Jack Wang, Miha Pavlovic, Jannic Meyer. Read the full report 👇 Thank you to Dealroom.co and Resilience Media for the recognition.

Only two days left: Please respond to the European Commission’s consultation on EU–INC until tomorrow evening. 🇪🇺 Having invested in startups across multiple European countries and in the US, I have seen first-hand how fragmented Europe is when it comes to company formation, stock options, and cross-border scaling. Every new jurisdiction means new lawyers, new paperwork, and different rules. That is time and money that could be better spent building companies. That's why I support EU–INC's proposal for a pan-European standardised legal entity, a harmonised framework for stock option schemes across Europe, simplified processes for investment and cross-border employment and a single digital-first EU registry. The EU’s consultation form is admittedly cumbersome and takes a few minutes to complete, but there's a step-by-step guide over on the EU–INC website to help you out. Kudos to Philipp Herkelmann and Andreas Klinger for pushing this initiative forward. If we want to see more global winners coming out of Europe, this is the kind of structural change we need.