Babcock shares surge as Starmer calls for Europe to ‘step up’ on defence Economics Shares in Britain’s defence giants rallied on Monday morning as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called for Europe to “step up” on defence spending. Babcock – which plays a key role in the UK’s nuclear submarine fleet as well as naval, land and air operations – surged nearly four per cent in early trading to [...]
Financial services to plough cash into UK defence in 2026 Banking Financial services are planning to pump cash into the UK’s defence sector next year after facing pressure to ramp up investment amid increased geopolitical tensions. Nearly two-thirds of financial services leaders expect the sector to increase investment in UK defence in 2026, with more than a quarter anticipating that investment will rise “much more” over [...]
Britain must invest in defence AI to secure its future Opinion The UK has the talent and industrial base to compete in defence tech, but leveraging these effectively will require more than investment.
Ex-head of British Army to lead Santander’s defence lending October 6, 2025 The former head of the British Army is set to lead Santander’s bid to bolster its defence lending as the industry experiences soaring demand with nations upping spending. General Sir Patrick Sanders was the chief of the general staff from 2022 to 2024 in the British Army and is set to join the Spanish-headquartered bank [...]
UK veterans drive defence tech boom September 29, 2025 Defence tech startups are booming across Europe, powered by an influx of UK military veterans and record levels of VC investment. Yet, a new report found critical gaps in space tech and AI chips could leave the country exposed. The State of Defence Tech 2025 report has revealed that defence startups have secured $1.5bn (£1.12bn) [...]
Britain secures £10bn warship deal with Norway August 31, 2025 The UK has agreed a £10bn deal to supply Norway with at least five new warships, in what both governments are hailing as a landmark for defence cooperation, but which analysts say also underscores rising geopolitical tensions and the pressure on NATO allies to increase spending. Under the agreement, Britain will deliver ‘type 26’ frigates [...]
UK defence tech pivots from taboo to City darling August 28, 2025 The UK’s deep tech sector is navigating a seismic shift in investor sentiment toward defence technology. Once a frowned-upon sector, defence is now shedding its taboo, driven primarily by global instability and recent geopolitical headwinds. This transformation, while opening the doors to new investment opportunities, also reveals underlying issues in the UK’s approach to technology [...]
Cohort’s shares rally after soaring defence demand spikes profit July 16, 2025 Defence tech group Cohort shot past market expectations for the year ending April 30 as geopolitical tensions helped spike demand. The London-listed firm, whose customers included the UK Ministry of Defence, recorded a pre-tax profit of £25.6m, up 29 per cent from 2024. This came as revenue jumped 33 per cent to £270m as the [...]
Hackathons help UK defence tech take flight June 27, 2025 Sandhurst isn’t the first place one might liken to Silicon Valley. Yet, the Royal Military Academy – long a symbol of tradition in British defence – is becoming a new hub for defence technology innovation. At a recent 24 hour defence tech hackathon, the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst hosted coders, engineers and military veterans alike, [...]
UK defence tech investment surges September 26, 2024 Venture capital in European defence technology is set to reach $1bn annually by 2024, with the UK leading the charge alongside Germany and France.