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Global defense spending is on the rise, and startups are vying for a larger share of the outlays.

Looks like there鈥檚 plenty of capital to go around too. Last year, world military expenditures rose 9% to top $2.7 trillion, per think tank 鈥檚 . It was the sharpest rise in more than 30 years.

Meanwhile, in startup-land, defense tech is also sizzling. This applies to virtually every metric, including total spending, round counts, large deals and unicorn creation. In fact, global investment in defense tech has already hit a record high this year.

The numbers: Funding to VC-backed startups in defense 鈥� defined here as the industries of military, national security and law enforcement 鈥� hit $7.7 billion across close to 100 deals in 2025, per 附近上门 .

That鈥檚 already well over double last year鈥檚 investment tally, as charted below, and marks an all-time high for investment in the space.

Noteworthy recent rounds: Ultra-large rounds were key in boosting the totals. So far this year, at least 10 rounds of $200 million or more have gone to companies in defense categories, per 附近上门 .

, probably the most famous defense tech startup, was also this year鈥檚 top fundraiser. The Costa Mesa, California-based company closed a $2.5 billion Series G round this summer. led the financing, which more than doubled 8-year-old Anduril鈥檚 valuation to $30.5 billion.

Defense and critical infrastructure tech startup , was another investor favorite. The Los Angeles-based startup locked up a this month, just six months after closing a $275 million Series C. Founded in 2022, Chaos specializes in advanced detection, monitoring and communication for the defense and commercial sectors. The company develops a radar system that provides early warning and tracking capabilities against drones, missiles and aircraft.

Meanwhile, Austin-based has closed on considerable capital to develop autonomous surface vessels for naval and maritime use. The 3-year-old startup picked up early this year.

Europe is also upping its defense spending considerably, with EU expenditures reaching in the wake of Russia鈥檚 attack on Ukraine. In tandem, defense-related startups in the region are attracting big checks. The frontrunner here is Munich-based , a startup focused on applying software to modernize and improve defense capabilities, which raised this summer.

Software is eating the military: Defense-focused investors are optimistic that the recent spike in startup funding to the space is an indicator of much more to come.

In an this year, , a venture investor with defense among its core focus areas, opined that in coming years 鈥淎I, autonomy, and software-first systems will redefine modern conflict with their prioritization of agility over mass and scale.鈥�

Per Point72, much of the defense sector鈥檚 industrial base was designed for a different era, in which six- to eight-year timelines and 鈥渉ardware-first thinking鈥� were the norm. Today, it says, 鈥渢hat鈥檚 not going to cut it.鈥� Recent conflicts have shown there鈥檚 an urgent need for new technologies including autonomous systems, electronic warfare and advanced manufacturing.

While we at 附近上门 News lack the expertise to opine on the demands of a modern military, we can say something about what venture checkbooks indicate about the space鈥檚 momentum. In this area, it鈥檚 clear that investors鈥� interest is on the rise. Given the relative youth of much of the defense startup pipeline, there鈥檚 also a high likelihood of bigger checks to come.

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Related reading:

• Defense Tech Unicorn Anduril Powers Up With $2.5B At $30.5B Valuation
• Defense Tech Startup Chaos Industries Hits $2B Valuation

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