New Defense Summit 2026
Since June 2024, the European Defense Tech Hub has run 40+ hackathons across Europe, bringing together more than 7,500 participants. A new generation of defense founders has come out of these weekends: builders who turned 48-hour prototypes into real companies. Fourteen alumni companies have raised roughly €3.9M where disclosed. Twenty have entered named programmes including NATO DIANA and EUDIS, and one, Pleno, was acquired by STARK Defense.
The event will run through our EDTH event platform — apply directly here: https://events.eurodefense.tech/new-defense-summit
The New Defense Summit is where this momentum comes together. It's your chance to meet our alumni in person, alongside startups, investors, primes and partners from across the European defense tech community.
Built for builders going from prototype to company
Develop your business: meet your first customers, find partners, and build the connections you need to scale.
Secure capital: connect with angels, venture funds and strategic investors, or explore non-dilutive funding.
Navigate regulation and procurement: get practical guidance on export controls, security accreditation and real paths into defense markets.
Meet the right people: founders who have done it before, investors who understand that defense is not SaaS, and experts who can answer specific questions.