€100M public investment fund takes aim at Dutch defense applications

The Dutch Ministry of Defense is establishing the Secfund, a 100-million-euro investment fund for early-stage financing of Dutch startups, scale-ups and SMEs that meet a Defense innovation need. The fund invests up to a maximum of 5 million euros per company and will focus on dual-use products: products that can be used for both civilian and defense applications.

As in many other sectors, innovative companies in the defense sector often find it difficult to secure financing, research by the European Union shows. Not only because the capital requirements of these companies are very high, but also because financiers are reluctant to invest in the defense industry. The Secfund intends to bridge this gap.

The Secfund is a collaboration of the Ministries of Defense and Economic Affairs and regional development companies (ROMs). It has national coverage. It will be run by the Brabant Development Agency (BOM) in collaboration with the other ROMs. The fund is expected to kick off in January 2025.