Since planes and spacecraft were created in the 20th century, there has constantly been new innovations within the aerospace and defence market. Traditionally, governments were behind the funding of these projects, however aerospace and defence VCs are consistently growing and doing more within the market. In a time where commercial spaceflight is becoming more viable and military spending is consistently increasing- these companies are finding more share in the markets and more investment opportunities. Multiple top VCs have become involved in the market.
1. Airbus Ventures
Year Founded: 2015
HQ: Menlo Park, USA
Size: 11-50
Founders: Thomas D'Halluin
Airbus Ventures is an Aerospace and Defence VC that was founded in 2015 and is currently based in Menlo Park, USA. The company is the venture arm of the aerospace firm Airbus and invests in companies that are bringing innovative new technological approaches to the industry as a whole.
Since being founded, the company has managed a single investment fund and has used this fund to make a total of 60 investments into startups. From these investments, the company has currently made an exit from 7 of these.
2. Boeing HorizonX Ventures
Year Founded: 2017
HQ: Chicago, USA
Size: 11-50
Founders: Boeing
Boeing HorizonX Ventures is an Aerospace and Defence VC that was founded in 2017 and is currently based in Chicago, USA. The company is the venture arm of Boeing and mainly invests in late-seed to growth-stage startups that are bringing revolutionary concepts to the aviation industry.
Since being founded, the company has managed a single investment fund and it has used this fund to invest in 33 businesses. From these investments, the company has made a successful exit from three of these.
3. JetBlue Technology Ventures
Year Founded: 2016
HQ: San Carlos, USA
Size: 1-10
Founders: Bonny Simi
JetBlue Technology Ventures is an Aerospace and Defence VC that was founded in 2016 and is currently based in San Carlos, USA. The company focuses its investment efforts on companies that are improving the general health of the travel and hospitality industries across early-stage and seed funding.
Since being founded, the firm has made a total of forty investments into various companies, with the firm making a successful exit from four of these investments. The company has also made a total of six diversity investments.
4. Lux Capital
Year Founded: 2000
HQ: New York, USA
Size: 11-50
Founders: Josh Wolfe, Peter Hebert, Rob Paull
Lux Capital is an American VC firm that was founded in 2000 and is currently based in New York, USA. The business focuses its investment efforts on companies within the science and technology sectors, which includes investments in aviation. This support comes through a variety of funding stages.
Since being founded, the company has gone through ten investment funds and has used these funds to make a total of 381 investments into various companies. From these investments, the company has managed to make a successful exit from 46.
5. Promus Ventures
Year Founded: 2012
HQ: Chicago, USA
Size: 1-10
Founders: Mike Collett
Promus Ventures is an American VC firm that was founded in 2012 and is currently based in Chicago, USA. The company focuses its investment efforts on startups within the software and hardware markets, which includes businesses focusing on the aviation sector. This funding comes in the early stages of the company's life cycle.
Since being founded, the firm has managed five investment funds, which has allowed the company to make a series of 127 investments. From these investments, the company has managed to successfully exit from 25 of these.
6. True Ventures
Year Founded: 2005
HQ: Palo Alto, USA
Size: 11-50
Founders: John Burke, Jon Callaghan, Phil Black
True Ventures is a VC firm involved in Aerospace and Defence that was founded in 2005 and is currently based in Palo Alto, USA. The company invests mainly in early-stage technology startups and these investments have included multiple aerospace-centric ventures. The team also helps with non-financial assistance.
Since being founded, the firm has managed 11 investment funds, which has allowed the company to make 603 investments into various startups. From these investments, the company has managed to exit from 101 of these.
7. Safran Corporate Ventures
Year Founded: 2015
HQ: Paris, France
Size: 1-10
Founders: Safran
Safran Corporate Ventures is a French VC firm that was founded in 2015 and is based in Paris, France. The company focuses its investment efforts on early-stage ventures that bring innovation and new ideas to a variety of different industries, including the aviation industry, defence and security.
Since being founded, the company has gone through a single investment fund, which it has used to make a series of 12 investments. From these investments, the company has currently made an exit from three investments.
8. Acorn Growth Companies
Year Founded: 2006
HQ: Oklahoma City, USA
Size: 11-50
Founders: Unknown
Acorn Growth Companies is an American VC firm that was founded in 2006 and is currently based in Oklahoma City, USA. The company focuses on investments in the aerospace and defence industry, with investment generally coming in the early stages of the business development cycle.
Since the company was founded, it has managed a single investment fund and from the use of this fund, the company has managed to acquire a total of eight businesses to add under its banner.
9. Space Capital
Year Founded: 2017
HQ: New York, USA
Size: 1-10
Founders: Chad Anderson
Space Capital is an American VC firm that was founded in 2017 and is currently based in New York, USA. The company involves itself in investment into businesses that have great growth prospects in the technology industry. The company focuses heavily on investments into space enterprises.
Since being founded, the company has managed four investment funds. From these funds, the company has managed to make 63 investments. From these investments, the company has made an exit from five of these.
10. Venrock
Year Founded: 1969
HQ: Palo Alto, USA
Size: 51-100
Founders: Laurance Rockefeller
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Venrock is an American VC firm that was founded in 1969 and is currently based in Palo Alto, USA. The company focuses on investment into late and early-stage ventures. These investments are mainly focused on technology and medical startups. The company has a great pedigree for these investments.
Since being founded, the company has managed a total of ten investment funds. These investment funds have allowed the business to make 773 investments and from these investments, the company has made an exit from 267 of these.
11. Techstars Starburst Space Accelerator
Year Founded: 2020
HQ: LA, USA
Size: 1-10
Founders: Techstars
Techstars Starburst Space Accelerator is an Aerospace and Defence VC that was founded in 2020 and is currently based in LA, USA. The company focuses its investment efforts on companies in the space sector that are innovating space technology and making commercial space exploration easier.
Since being founded, the company has made a total of 20 investments into various aerospace startups, with the firm not making an exit from these startups at this time.
12. RRE Ventures
Year Founded: 1994
HQ: New York, USA
Size: 11-50
Founders: James Robinson, Jim Robinson, Stuart Ellman
RRE Ventures is an American VC firm that was founded in 1994 and is currently based in New York, USA. The company focuses its investment efforts on software, the internet and communications. The investment that they give to these companies comes across a variety of different funding stages.
Since being founded, the company has gone through 9 investment funds and from these funds, has managed to make a total of 574 investments into various companies. Since being founded, the business has made an exit from 118 of these investments.
13. Seraphim Capital
Year Founded: 2006
HQ: London, England
Size: 1-10
Founders: Anthony Clarke
Seraphim Capital is an Aerospace and Defence VC that was founded in 2006 and is currently based in London, England. The company mainly involves itself in the space ecosystem. The company invests in businesses across all stages of the development of the business. They are contributing to the overall space ecosystem.
The company has managed a single investment fund since being founded, with this fund allowing the business to make a series of 81 investments. From these investments, the company has managed to make a total of 9 exits from these.
14. Session VC
Year Founded: 2019
HQ: Zurich, Switzerland
Size: 1-10
Founders: Martin Altorfer
Session VC is a VC in Aerospace and Defence that was founded in 2019 and is based in Zurich, Switzerland. The company provides early-stage funding to startups within the software and consumer technology space, with some of these investments corresponding with the aforementioned industry.
Since being founded, the company has managed one investment fund. From this investment fund, the company has managed to make a total of eight investments. From these investments, the company has not made an exit from any at this time.
15. Defence Innovation Unit Experimental
Year Founded: 2015
HQ: Mountain View, USA
Size: 1-10
Founders: US Government
Defence Innovation Unit Experimental is an American Private Firm that was founded in 2015 and is currently based in Mountain View, USA. The company aims to facilitate improved communication and investments within the ecosystem as a whole.
Since the company was founded, it has made a pair of investments and has currently made an exit from one of these investments.
16. Outbound Capital
Year Founded: 2020
HQ: Saratoga Springs, USA
Size: 1-10
Founders: Michael Kocan
Outbound Capital is an Aerospace and Defence VC that was founded in 2020 and is currently based in Saratoga Springs, USA. The company provides early-stage funding and helps innovative businesses to develop new technologies to address existing problems in society and business.
The business has managed a single investment fund since being founded, with this fund being used to make a series of five investments. As it stands currently, the company has not made an exit from any of these.
17. Type One Ventures
Year Founded: 2019
HQ: LA, USA
Size: 1-10
Founders: Justin Walker, Tarek Waked
Type One Ventures is an American VC firm that was founded in 2019 and is currently based in LA, USA. The business focuses its investments on businesses at the Seed and Series A stage of funding and their previous investments have included forays into the aerospace and defence market.
Some of the company's previous investments include SpaceX, Radian, Moons, Brelyon and many more.
18. MaC Venture Capital
Year Founded: 2019
HQ: LA, USA
Size: 1-10
Founders: Adrian Fenty, Charles King, Marlon Nichols, Michael Palank
MaC Venture Capital is an American VC firm that was founded in 2019 and is currently based in LA, USA. The company provides investment in the early stages of a company's life cycle and this is focused on the technology sector. There are some examples of investments into the aerospace sector.
Since being founded, the firm has managed a total of six investment funds, with these funds allowing for investments into a total of 170 startups. From these investments, the company has made an exit from 10 of these.
19. SOMA Capital
Year Founded: 2015
HQ: San Francisco, USA
Size: 11-50
Founders: Aneel Ranadive
SOMA Capital is an American VC firm that was founded in 2015 and is currently based in San Francisco, USA. The company mainly focuses its investment efforts on technologies that automate existing processes, with previous investments in the aerospace sector. This funding is provided across various different stages.
Since the company was founded, it has managed three investment funds and these funds have allowed the company to make a series of 309 investments. From these investments, the company has currently made an exit from 29.
20. Speciale Invest
Year Founded: 2016
HQ: Bengaluru, India
Size: 1-10
Founders: Arjun Rao, Vishesh Rajaram
Speciale Invest is an Indian VC firm that was founded in 2016 and is currently based in Bengaluru, India. The company focuses its investment efforts on Seed funding for businesses in the deep technology market. In addition to funding, they also provide assistance in terms of support.
Since being founded, the company has managed two investment funds and has used these funds to make 30 investments. As it stands, the company has currently made an exit from four of these.
21. National Security Strategic Investment Fund
Year Founded: 2021
HQ: Sheffield, England
Size: 1-10
Founders: HM Government
The National Security Strategic Investment Fund is a Corporate Venture Arm of the British Business Bank and was formed in collaboration with the British Government. It invests in technology businesses that contribute to the future of the country's defence capabilities and technological infrastructure.
Since being founded, the firm has made a single investment and has not made an exit from this.
FAQs
How Much Is The Aerospace and Defence Industry Worth?
In 2020, the combined market was estimated to be worth a total of $416.63 Billion.
How Much Investment Is In The Aerospace and Defence Industry?
Total investment in the sector is hard to identify due to the secrecy involved in some companies, although mergers and aquistions in the market achieved $61 Billion in deals through to August 2021 to the start of the year.
Who Are The Biggest Aerospace Companies?
The biggest Aerospace companies are Boeing, Airbus, Lockheed Martin, United Technologies and General Electric.
