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Why Eric Slesinger, a former CIA officer, is now funding European defense tech
This week on StrictlyVC Download, Alex Gove speaks with Eric Slesinger from 201 Ventures, a venture capital firm focused on seed-stage defense tech startups in Europe. They discuss Eric's journey from CIA to investor and how he recognized the untapped potential in European defense tech while others were dismissive, and how he's working to overcome the cultural taboo that once made defense investments "bad manners" in European VC circles.
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction and Eric's CIA background
04:17 - Why Europe for defense tech investments
06:32 - Changing European attitudes toward defense technology
09:00 - Ukraine as a testing ground for new technologies
11:24 - Launching 201 Ventures with NATO Innovation Fund
14:30 - Investment partnerships and sourcing strategies
18:07 - The Polar Mist story and maritime defense
20:15 - Gray zone dislocations and technology focus areas
22:59 - Evaluating government demand for new technologies
25:50 - Mission goals and the future of 201 Ventures
28:03 - Conclusion
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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By Connie Loizos & Alex Gove
4.7
2424 ratings
This week on StrictlyVC Download, Alex Gove speaks with Eric Slesinger from 201 Ventures, a venture capital firm focused on seed-stage defense tech startups in Europe. They discuss Eric's journey from CIA to investor and how he recognized the untapped potential in European defense tech while others were dismissive, and how he's working to overcome the cultural taboo that once made defense investments "bad manners" in European VC circles.
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction and Eric's CIA background
04:17 - Why Europe for defense tech investments
06:32 - Changing European attitudes toward defense technology
09:00 - Ukraine as a testing ground for new technologies
11:24 - Launching 201 Ventures with NATO Innovation Fund
14:30 - Investment partnerships and sourcing strategies
18:07 - The Polar Mist story and maritime defense
20:15 - Gray zone dislocations and technology focus areas
22:59 - Evaluating government demand for new technologies
25:50 - Mission goals and the future of 201 Ventures
28:03 - Conclusion
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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