Nicholas Nelson & Sebastian von Ribbentrop: Europe Wants Defense Tech Without Saying “Defense” скачать в хорошем качестве

Nicholas Nelson & Sebastian von Ribbentrop: Europe Wants Defense Tech Without Saying “Defense”

Welcome back to EUVC Live at GoWest, where we bring you unfiltered conversations with the voices shaping Europe’s venture ecosystem. In this session, Nicholas Nelson (General Partner, Archangel Ventures) and Sebastian von Ribbentrop (Founding Partner, Join Capital) go head-to-head in one of the most direct debates in European venture this year. The conversation opens with a blunt question: is Europe’s defense investment wave real — or just venture capital wrapped in a Ukrainian flag? What was once taboo in European capital markets has quickly become strategic necessity. Defense budgets are rising. Political rhetoric has shifted. Venture capital is flowing into the sector at unprecedented levels. But beneath the momentum lies a structural fault line: defense-first versus dual-use. Nicholas argues that building directly for the warfighter creates stronger capability, clearer procurement alignment, and superior long-term positioning. Sebastian counters that dual-use is not a reputational hedge, but risk management — diversifying revenue streams in a fragmented procurement landscape and leveraging non-dilutive defense contracts to offset shallow growth capital. The takeaway? Europe’s defense wave is real. But whether it produces durable industrial champions — or remains a short-term surge — depends on growth-stage capital, procurement coordination, and strategic clarity. Platform or subsystem. Sovereignty or scale. Conviction or caution. 🎧 Here’s what’s covered: 00:30 The framing question — structural shift or narrative trade? 03:00 From taboo to trend — ESG, LP optics, and the Ukraine inflection point. 05:30 Defense-first vs dual-use — the defining strategic divide. 08:00 The defense-first case — designing for the warfighter from day one. 11:00 The dual-use counterargument — diversification, resilience, and procurement realities. 13:30 Go-to-market complexity — running two motions versus focused execution. 16:00 The growth capital gap — reliance on US and Middle Eastern funding. 18:00 The sovereignty dilemma — will companies “pick a flag” as they scale 20:00 Platform vs subsystem — primes or precision components? 22:00 Fragmented procurement — 30+ environments shaping scaling strategy. 23:30 Final takeaway — Europe’s defense opportunity requires coordination, conviction, and capital architecture.