TLDR:
- A $100 million defense tech fund, the Anzu-Green Critical Technologies Fund, is launching to support companies in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and aerospace.
- The fund aims to invest in Series B cybersecurity and AI companies, with plans to start making investments in the fourth quarter of the year.
In a collaboration between defense-focused lobbying firm J.A. Green & Co. and VC firm Anzu Partners, the Anzu-Green Critical Technologies Fund has been established to support companies developing technology related to national defense and security. The $100 million fund will focus on entities specializing in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and aerospace technologies. Anzu Partners, known for investing in “breakthrough industrial technologies,” will provide funding at the Series B stage, with investments ranging from $3 million to $6 million.
The fund will leverage the technology and company-building skills of Anzu Partners with the advocacy and business development expertise of J.A. Green & Co. Investments are expected to kick off in the fourth quarter of the year, and the fund will consider companies across the country. The collaboration between a lobbying firm and venture capital firm in the defense sector is seen as a practical move given the proximity to the Department of Defense in Washington, DC.
Jeff Green, president and founder of J.A. Green & Co., believes this fund signals a shift in the behavior of the Department of Defense, which is increasingly turning to early-stage technology companies to address national security challenges. The fund follows a trend of the DoD investing in more early-stage technology companies and marks a unique collaboration between a lobbying and venture firm with a defense focus.
Overall, the Anzu-Green Critical Technologies Fund aims to support innovative companies in the cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and aerospace sectors, reflecting a growing interest in the defense tech space.