09.12.2025 • Valarian Team
CNBC: The European Defense Tech Renaissance Featuring Valarian CEO Max Buchan
As European defense venture capital investment hits a record $5.2 billion, the continent is finally building the sovereign digital infrastructure it needs. Valarian's Max Buchan explains why this shift represents more than just market opportunity—it's a fundamental rebalancing of technological power.
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Europe’s defence and security startups attracted $5.2 billion in venture capital in 2024 as overall VC investment fell. NATO members have agreed to raise security spending targets, while the EU and UK are increasing budgets at pace.
This is not a cycle. It is a reset of control over critical technology.
Why now
Russia’s 2022 invasion exposed the risk of depending on external digital infrastructure for national functions. The response: a surge of software-led, AI-enabled companies in cybersecurity, secure communications, drones and space. As Dealroom’s Yoram Wijngaarde puts it, appetite for defence innovation in Europe is now “unrecognisable.”
The core issue is control. If sensitive communications and operational systems run on platforms you do not control, you have outsourced sovereignty.
The UK’s edge
The UK sits at the intersection of European demand and global capital. Regulatory clarity, technical talent, and mission-driven founders create what Valarian CEO Max Buchan calls an “arbitrage opportunity”: raise capital and know‑how globally, deploy in Europe where capability gaps are urgent.
This is also cultural. The UK can attract elite engineers with meaningful work: build systems that serve national security and economic independence.
The path forward
Lead in sovereign digital infrastructure—or remain dependent. Early signals suggest Europe is choosing leadership. The work now is execution: ship secure, scalable systems, recruit world‑class engineers, and convert investment into deployable capability.
Valarian’s ACRA platform operates on that line: compartmentalised data and compute, enforced access discipline, and deployment models that keep high‑stakes communications and compliance data under the owner’s control.
Our view is simple: build the infrastructure that lets Europe stand on its own two feet—then run.
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To discuss Valarian's sovereign digital infrastructure solutions, contact our team.
