GALLOS Technologies Raises £35m to Build and Back the Next Generation of Defence Startups

The UK's defence technology sector is attracting serious private capital as governments and businesses place greater importance on security, resilience and national capability.

London-based GALLOS Technologies has raised £35 million in a balance sheet investment round, led by Ventura Capital and Aberdeen Investments. Existing investor Lansdowne Partners also participated, while the round remains open to a small number of additional strategic investors.

The funding gives GALLOS more capital to build new companies, invest in early-stage startups and expand its platform across security, defence and resilience.

Building more than a defence investment portfolio

Founded by Josh Burch and Dean Jones, GALLOS operates differently from a traditional venture capital firm.

Its model combines venture investing with company building. Through GALLOS Build, the firm creates startups from the ground up. GALLOS Ventures invests in early-stage companies, while the GALLOS Alliance brings together a 130-strong community of senior security and risk leaders.

That combination gives GALLOS access to industry expertise that can help identify problems worth solving before investing significant capital.

The firm's wider team includes former national security and intelligence leaders such as Sir Jeremy Fleming, former Director of GCHQ, Gaven Smith, former CTO of GCHQ, and Greg Smithberger, former CTO of the US National Security Agency.

Why the £35m raise matters

The timing of the investment is significant. Defence spending is increasing across allied nations, while emerging technologies are changing how governments think about cybersecurity, autonomous systems, intelligence and critical infrastructure.

GALLOS already has early evidence behind its approach. Its portfolio includes StirlingX, a secure drone and data intelligence company, and AI Score, which helps enterprises govern and manage AI systems safely.

For founders, the opportunity is particularly interesting because defence technology has traditionally been difficult to enter. Access to experienced operators, government networks and specialist investors can make a significant difference when taking a product from concept to deployment.

For investors, GALLOS offers exposure to a growing category while taking a hands-on approach to company creation.

The challenge will be maintaining that advantage as competition for defence technology opportunities intensifies.

As Mo El Husseiny, Managing Partner at Ventura Capital, backs the round, GALLOS is positioning itself as more than a capital provider. It wants to become a platform for building companies that address some of the UK's most important security challenges.

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