Evelyn attended the 2025 UnlockVC Summit – a two-day event in Paris bringing together 400+ women investors, thought leaders, and industry pioneers for impactful networking, learning and growth – where she hosted a roundtable on the theme “Is Khaki the New Green?”, a provocative and timely discussion examining the accelerating overlap between defence innovation, dual-use technologies, and impact-driven investment strategies.
Participants in the roundtable reflected on Europe’s shifting technological priorities and the role that venture capital can play in strengthening resilience and strategic autonomy. The conversation highlighted several emerging dynamics in the market:
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Civilian-first startups are increasingly pivoting toward defence applications
Many venture firms are observing that portfolio companies originally built for civilian markets are now discovering meaningful defence use cases. This shift raises important questions about how best to support founders operating in procurement-heavy, highly regulated environments. -
Investors are actively debating compliance and ethics frameworks for dual-use technologies
A growing dialogue among LPs and GPs focuses on how to balance strategic relevance with responsible governance when assessing dual-use opportunities, and what standards should guide investment decisions in a rapidly evolving sector. -
Technological sovereignty is becoming central to Europe’s impact narrative
Participants noted a rising recognition that security resilience and sovereign capabilities are not in opposition to impact goals but increasingly form a core pillar of Europe’s long-term societal and economic sustainability.
The roundtable underscored that as geopolitical and technological landscapes evolve, the boundaries between impact, innovation, and security are being redefined, inviting investors to adapt their frameworks and responsibilities accordingly.
