Europe once led the world. We built empires and gave humanity democracy, industry, art, and science. From the Nordic Viking Era through the Italian Renaissance to the British Industrial Revolution and the German 'Wirtschaftswunder', Europe has shaped the course of human history.
Then we grew soft.
We traded ambition for comfort, innovation for regulation, and talking over doing. While others race to build the future and create a new world order, we redesign our bottle caps. Europe is becoming a spectator and the world’s compliance department.
The Wake-up Call
Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, China’s autocratic alliance with Iran, North Korea and Russia, and the America First movement shattered our dreams of a global peace at the end of history. We had a world ruled by international laws and conventions. We are now facing the emergency of a new world order where ‘might is right’.
In that new world order, Europe is vulnerable. We need to reverse our decline if we want to retain our strategic autonomy and democratic way of life. Otherwise, we surrender without a fight.
Space is the new High Ground
Once, power came from controlling seas, hilltops and skies. Tomorrow, it comes from controlling orbits. Whoever controls space controls Earth.
Space assets have become critical national infrastructure. If Europe cannot produce, control, replace or maintain these assets, we do not have strategic autonomy:
When American satellites guide our farmers, we lose control of our food supply
When Chinese systems track our ships, we lose control of our trade
When Russian rockets launch our technology, we lose our technological sovereignty
It's time for Europe to reclaim its spot on the launchpad
Space is no longer just a big-nations game. The economics of space have fundamentally changed, making it a playground also for smaller nations and private companies:
Launch costs have plummeted from nation-sized budgets to airmail delivery rates
Satellites have shrunk from bus-sized to shoebox-sized
Startups now outpace government programs and challenge major incumbents
Europe has a long legacy in space and possesses strong orbital launch capabilities. But we have fallen far behind and risk losing both our sovereignty and our share of the soaring new space economy.
America has SpaceX. China has Long March. Europe has committees.
Europe needs to get back in the game!
Europe must put D into ESG
Europe has woken up to a new world order where it is necessary to forge far stronger defence capabilities—and double down on building sovereign manufacturing capacity. If we do not, we risk losing the strategic autonomy of our democracies and the ability to shape sustainable societies with free speech and equal rights for all.
Europe must elevate Defence to equal status alongside existing Environmental and Social goals to ensure security goes hand-in-hand with our continent’s climate action and human rights resilience. We urgently need to put D into ESG.
Modern Defence needs Startup Innovation
Ukraine’s defence against Russia has proven that warfare has irrevocably changed. Blurring every boundary, digital and hybrid attacks are challenging societal resilience far beyond frontlines. Just like drones have become today’s artillery – future wars and conflicts will be won by innovation and technology.
Large costly systems like tanks, frigates and fighter jets are being challenged by cheap autonomous technologies; million-dollar equipment is being destroyed by thousand-dollar drones.
Relentless electronic warfare renders frontline systems obsolete within months. Rapid innovation is essential and should be non-negotiable for future defence capability development. Decade-long service guarantees yield to monthly innovation cycles and cheap, agile, distributed manufacturing.
In this new military reality, Europe must cultivate a defence‑tech startup ecosystem that out‑innovates incumbents and boost competitiveness in space and defence.
The European Leadership Challenge
Europe has everything needed to win: brilliant minds, cutting-edge research and a rich innovation history.
And the New Nordic nations are ready to lead in the reshaping of Europe. The region consistently produces more tech unicorns per capita than anywhere outside Silicon Valley. Our transparent societies and tradition of open discourse create the perfect environment for breakthrough thinking.
We question everything – questioning authority is second nature to the New Nordics
Our startup scene isn't strangled by entrenched regional incumbents
We host all of continental Europe's orbital launch ranges
We have a strong maritime heritage dating back to the Vikings
We have intimate understanding of what it takes to operate in Arctic conditions
The imminent threat from our large neighbor to the East is felt along our borders, in the Baltic Sea, and the Arctic – creating unprecedented alignment across political divides on boosting defence capabilities.
The New Nordic region can help kickstart Europe's comeback. We need Germany's engineering might. France's strategic ambition. Italy's industrial craftiness. Poland's fierce resilience. We need all of Europe, driven by a common purpose.
Closing Europe’s Capital Gap
Europe has all the ingredients to take lead. We have strong universities, deep talent pools, and excellent startup ecosystems. The European countries have overwhelmingly decided massive increases of military spending. Where the sector a few years back was shunned, the talent mass is now actively seeking jobs or starting companies in defence tech.
What is still lacking is sufficient private capital with the vision and courage to transform breakthrough technologies into world-changing companies.
While American investors fund billion-dollar defence companies, European investors debate whether defence is ethical. While Chinese money builds space dominance, European funds still shy away from hardware.
This ends now.
Final Frontier was founded to invest in companies with passionate world-class founders that aim to build the new European winners of the Space and Defence industry. We look for:
Startups building critical technologies for defence, resilience, and space operations in our new geopolitical reality
Teams willing to challenge incumbent prime contractors with more agile approaches
Companies with real tech that works now, not science projects
Companies at pre-seed and seed stages where we can add the most value
Partners who share our vision of a secure, technologically sovereign Europe
Our ambition is big, yet we start small. Our initial micro fund Final Frontier LiftOff is step one in our march toward European leadership. We team up with investors who share our vision and hunger to win.
This is just the beginning. The next fund, Final Frontier MaxQ, is already in motion. We're playing the long game.
The Binary Choice
The next five years will determine who leads space and defence for the next fifty. The transformation is inevitable—Europe's role is not.
To founders, investors, and partners with the courage to act:
We choose to lead, not follow. We choose to build, not depend. We choose to win, not watch.
The future belongs to the bold. And Europe must lead again.
