• Partnership objectives: The collaboration is designed to attract more private-capital investment in technology sectors linked to defence and security, facilitating broader access to equity funding for European companies.
• Strategic goals: EIF and NIF will work together to foster a comprehensive investment ecosystem, support innovative companies, and raise awareness about investment opportunities in defence and security.
• Activities and initiatives: The MoU outlines plans for regular dialogue, knowledge sharing, and the creation of new financial products tailored to the needs of companies in these sectors. The EIF's venture-debt product will complement venture capital and private-equity funding provided by EIF and NIF.
• Support from European Investment Bank (EIB) and European Commission: This partnership aligns with the EIB Group's Security and Defence Action Plan and will involve cooperation with the European Commission. The EIB Group is the financing arm of the European Union, owned by its member states.

• EIF: Part of the EIB Group, supports Europe's micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises by facilitating access to finance through venture capital, guarantees, and microfinance instruments.
• NIF: A venture capital fund backed by 24 NATO countries, investing over €1 billion in deep tech to address challenges in defence, security, and resilience.

The EIB Group, owned by EU member states, supports investments aligned with EU policy objectives, including financing for the security and defence industry. The NATO Innovation Fund leverages support from NATO Allies to provide deep tech entrepreneurs with access to commercial and government markets.

The official press release can be found here.