A new wave of venture capital is flooding the defense sector as investors place major bets on military technology. In the latest high-profile deal, Amsterdam-based defense tech startup Onodrim Industries, founded by Lithuanian entrepreneur Aistis Šimaitis, raised an additional $300 million.
Positioning itself as Europe’s counterpart to US defense contractor Anduril, Onodrim Industries combines software development with physical manufacturing. Moving beyond pure IT solutions, the company plans to use the fresh capital to acquire operational industrial facilities across the continent.
Onodrim Industries Valuation and Investors
The latest funding round lifted the startup’s valuation to $1.3 billion (€1.16 billion), granting it unicorn status. US venture capital firm Lux Capital led the round, joined by American and European investors including General Catalyst, Lakestar, Altimeter, Strike Capital, 137 Ventures, 8090, Expeditions, and Lithuanian fund Iron Wolf Capital. Previously, Onodrim Industries raised €40 million in February 2026.
The Anduril Model: Why a Tech Startup Is Buying Factories
Onodrim’s primary mission is to develop advanced sensors and network fragmented military hardware across EU member states into a unified digital system. The company closely mirrors the strategy of American contractor Anduril, operating as a hybrid between a tech company and a traditional arms manufacturer by pairing in-house software with custom-built physical hardware.
To scale production quickly without building manufacturing sites from scratch, Onodrim is buying existing European factories. The company aims to integrate its technology directly into acquired plants, applying the US playbook to Europe to establish an independent supply chain and become a primary contractor for European militaries. Šimaitis said the company plans to announce its first manufacturing acquisitions in the coming months.
Background on Anduril Industries
NEWSROOM IN notes: Anduril Industries is an American defense technology firm founded in 2017 by Oculus creator Palmer Luckey. The company disrupted standard US defense procurement practices with Lattice, an artificial intelligence operating system designed to integrate data from radars, drones, and cameras into a single operating picture.
Rather than functioning strictly as a software vendor, Anduril expanded into hardware manufacturing, acquiring arms producers and building autonomous submarines, strike drones, and air defense systems. By pairing hardware directly with Lattice, Anduril grew from an early-stage startup into a multibillion-dollar contractor competing directly with legacy defense giants like Lockheed Martin and Boeing.
