Securing Europe Now:
Closing Critical Defence Gaps with Impact and Speed
Berlin | Copenhagen
Our Mission
We build an operator-led venture platform focused on speed — accelerating sovereign defence and dual-use innovation across Europe.
About us
Closing Critical Defence Gaps with Impact and Speed.
We are building Felsen Ventures as a multi‑generation defence‑tech fund with an integrated accelerator to sustain pipeline, readiness, and impact over time. Our operator‑led platform combines capital, accelerator support, and operational expertise to bridge the gap between breakthrough technologies and deployment at scale.
We align with EU and NATO priorities but go further—enabling sovereign supply chains and manufacturing readiness for a new era of asymmetric warfare. Through our operator and institutional network, we identify mission‑critical technologies early, incubate and invest through our accelerator, build and scale operations with founders, and integrate ventures into OEMs, sovereign procurement, and dual‑use markets—delivering mission impact and strong exits.
Investment Focus
We invest in mission-critical technologies closing Europe’s supply chain gaps, scale through partnerships and operator support, and exit via strategic defence acquisitions.
EU Defence Readiness – Priority Capabilities:
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We strengthen Europe’s security by closing critical EU supply chain gaps in key domains: autonomous & tactical systems, drones & counter-drone, AI, quantum, cyber & electronic warfare, energy resilience, military mobility, mission software, and advanced munitions.
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Strategic & industrial resilience, scaling enablers (supply chain & manufacturing resilience), dual‑use infrastructure & industrial agility, including interoperable logistics, hardened networks, flexible manufacturing, and deployment infrastructure at scale.
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Controlled IP, domestic manufacturing, and resilient supply chains ensuring interoperability across mission domains.
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Dedicated funding stream and milestone-driven support to fast-track early-stage startups, de-risk investments, and channel innovations directly into procurement and dual-use markets - enhancing the fund’s pipeline, speed, and impact.
Compliance
We deploy 100% regulated EU/EEA/UK/NATO-aligned capital with secure access to conflict-relevant innovation and dual-use frontier technologies.
Our operations are backed by EuVECA manager structures, AIFMD-compliant fund administration, rigorous KYC/AML processes, and controlling with institutional-grade LP reporting.
Founding Team
Operator-led team with a proven track record in building, scaling, and delivering dual-use and tech ventures at speed.
Peter Bardenfleth-Hansen
Managing Partner (Denmark)
Former CEO of Zaptec (Norway) and UK defence-tech firm (battery/e-motor systems).
Key architect of Tesla’s expansion in the Nordics, Japan, and Middle East, reporting to Elon Musk. Angel investor and board member in several Nordic tech startups, with a track record in scaling clean-tech and dual-use ventures internationally.
Joerg Sommer
Managing Partner (Germany)
Former CEO of a commercial electric truck and infrastructure manufacturer (DHL Group subsidiary) and COO of a U.S. truck startup.
President of a U.S. exchange-listed advanced materials company and senior executive at Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, and Renault-Nissan, including regional board responsibility.
Venture Partner at bmp ventures AG and angel investor, with a track record in scaling mobility, dual-use, and industrial innovation internationally.
Building a Powerhouse
We are building a Venture Partner Network at the very top level, bringing in leaders from technology, the battlefield, and politics to support our operator-led fund management team and our portfolio company founders.
Our network already includes high-calibre figures from the defence and technology worlds and is expanding to include:
Statesmen with government leadership experience at the highest levels of European security policy, helping bridge strategy and execution.
International legal authorities on terrorism and armed conflict, with advisory mandates to governments and multilateral organizations.
Founders of leading private military and security companies, with proven track records supporting NATO and U.S. forces in conflict zones.
Technology pioneers from Silicon Valley and Europe, including a former DARPA program leader in next-generation missile systems and the founder of a world-leading dual-use autonomous software company.
This mix of battlefield operators, dual-use veterans, strategic advisors, and policy leaders embeds Felsen Ventures directly into Europe’s leading research institutes, universities, and defence innovation hubs - ensuring mission alignment and impact at the highest level.