Earlybird and AVP are pleased to welcome Airbus Defence and Space as the anchor investor in E2D, the €500 million dual-use and defence technology growth fund the two firms launched last month.
The fund is also announcing its first investment in French-headquartered Alta Ares, a company developing AI-powered hardware and agnostic software for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR) and counter-unmanned aerial systems (UAS) missions.
This follows a recently signed MOU between Airbus Defence and Space and Alta Ares to co-develop and integrate next-generation European counter-drone solutions into Airbus' battle management suite.
E2D is a new dual-use and defence technology growth fund jointly owned and advised by AVP and Earlybird with a target size of €500 million. It was established to back the next generation of European technology champions across space, air, land, maritime and subsurface domains, targeting around 20 companies at an average ticket size of approximately €25 million.
Providing capital at scale, it funds the next wave of technological innovation created by European growth-stage companies, fosters new technology adoption across the continent’s armed forces and strategic industries, and thus supports European sovereignty and economic growth.
