In the heart of Europe’s evolving military landscape, one former CIA officer is emerging as a driving force behind a new wave of defense innovation. At just 35, Eric Slesinger has quickly gone from operating in the shadows of intelligence to leading the charge in Europe’s surging defense tech startup scene.
On a whirlwind trip through Copenhagen last month, Slesinger met with maritime drone engineers, NATO advisers, and developers crafting next-gen war-planning software. Just days earlier, he was in London sharing dinner with a top British intelligence contact. Next on his itinerary? The Arctic, where he’s diving into technologies engineered for extreme climates.
It’s a travel schedule that would feel right at home in his old CIA days. But this time, Slesinger isn’t on a covert mission—he’s building a portfolio.
His venture capital firm, 201 Ventures, is laser-focused on European defense tech startups. With an eye on national security innovation, Slesinger has already backed eight promising young companies and is actively negotiating with several more. As European governments prepare to spend hundreds of billions of euros on modernizing their defense systems, Slesinger is strategically positioning himself—and his fund—at the center of it all.
Betting Big on Europe’s Security Pivot
When Slesinger relocated to Madrid four years ago, most dismissed his hunch that Europe would need to ramp up its military capabilities. But with Donald Trump back in office and his administration openly mocking Europe’s defense dependence, that prediction now looks uncannily accurate.
Trump’s re-election and his administration’s blistering remarks about NATO allies have rattled policymakers. Calling European countries “pathetic” and military “freeloaders,” Trump’s team has made it clear: Europe must stand on its own.
But Slesinger argues this shift was inevitable. “Whether Trump or Harris had won, Europe still needed to catch up technologically,” he explained, rushing between meetings in Copenhagen. “Trump may have sped things up, but this was always coming.”
Now, governments across the continent are scrambling to rebuild their militaries with cutting-edge tools—from satellite systems to missile defense and autonomous surveillance. This defense boom has opened the door for tech-savvy entrepreneurs to fill the innovation gap. And investors like Slesinger are quick to seize the moment.
A One-Man Mission with Global Reach
With 201 Ventures, Slesinger is finalizing a $22 million fund to support startups that sit at the crossroads of national security and technology. His early investments already stretch across the continent: a Swedish maritime drone maker, a British manufacturing tech firm, a Greek AI startup, and a hypersonic vehicle company in Germany.
He’s also backed Delian, a Greek firm building surveillance towers for coastal and border defense. Designed to safeguard critical infrastructure, Delian’s fixed towers are already drawing interest from multiple European governments.
What makes Slesinger’s journey unique isn’t just his CIA background—it’s how he’s translating it into deep strategic foresight and high-return bets. While many investors only recently turned their eyes toward defense, Slesinger has been laying the groundwork for years.
He’s not just betting on technology. He’s betting on a reshaped geopolitical reality where Europe must fend for itself—and where startups will provide the tools to do so.
