Defense Tech: Is Khaki the new Green?

​This roundtable is part of the unlock VC Summit 2025. To attend, you must have a ticket.

​Europe’s investment priorities are evolving fast, shifting from a Green Deal focus towards defence and dual-use technologies. At this roundtable, we’ll dive into the big questions shaping the flow of capital: How do competitiveness, sovereignty, ESG, and innovation fit together? Expect a lively discussion on where the opportunities lie, the trade-offs investors face, and how these themes will define the next wave of European VC.

Join this conversation led by Evelyn Paris - Co-Founder, Edge 4.0 ​and Dr. Tanja Emmerling - Partner and Head of High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) Berlin.

​Evelyn Paris - Co-Founder, Edge 4.0

​A policy and regulation expert, Evelyn worked for the European Commission on policy and stratcom strategies to counter hybrid threats and increase democratic resilience. During her MBA at INSEAD, she set to create Edge.40, an emerging VC fund focusing on breakthrough European defence technologies with dual-use potential, that enhance the continent's technological sovereignty and strategic autonomy.

​Dr. Tanja Emmerling - Partner and Head of High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) Berlin

​Tanja is Partner at HTGF, the most active seed investor in Europe with 2 bn Euro under management. She built up the Berlin HTGF Team and is leading the Digital Tech as Partner. She is an experienced investor in the Digital Tech space since 2014. She is keen on IT processes, cyber security and all tech that put Europe in a lead position.