Why resilience is creating a 'perfect storm' for European deep tech
Cyber attacks, geopolitical tensions and supply-chain disruption are pushing resilience higher up Europe's technology agenda. At SuperReturn Venture, Marcin Hejka, Managing Partner at OTB Ventures, explains why resilience extends far beyond defence, why startups have a central role to play, and how urgent demand is creating new opportunities for investors.
• Resilience is no longer a theoretical concern: governments, economies and infrastructure are already facing cyber, geopolitical and supply-chain pressures.
• The theme extends beyond defence to include critical computing, space capabilities and infrastructure protection.
• Hejka argues that startups and venture capital are essential to developing the breakthrough technologies required.
• Successful resilience companies must combine an urgent need with deep technology capable of addressing it.
• Government and enterprise funding is helping create a genuine market for resilience-focused startups.
The investment case for European resilience
"The threats aren't theoretical anymore"
For Hejka, resilience has shifted from a future concern to an immediate necessity. Cyber attacks, geopolitical tensions and supply-chain disruption are already creating pressure for governments, economies and critical infrastructure.
Responding to those challenges will require breakthrough technologies, he argues, making startups, and the venture ecosystem that supports them, central to Europe's response.
Resilience goes beyond defence
Hejka believes resilience should be viewed much more broadly than defence or dual-use technology. It encompasses the capabilities that allow economies, nations and infrastructure to continue operating under stress, whether caused by conflict, cyber attacks, disrupted supply chains or natural disasters.
That includes critical computing, space capabilities, defence technologies and systems that protect essential infrastructure. For Europe, resilience is also about technological independence.&nbs
We cannot rely on technologies provided by someone else that may
not be available to us at the time we need them.
Marcin Hejka, OTB Ventures
Deep tech must solve an urgent problem
As resilience becomes an increasingly popular investment theme, Hejka cautions against companies relying solely on the narrative.
The businesses most likely to succeed are those combining deep technical expertise with solutions to immediate, real-world challenges. Counter-drone systems, critical AI computing and space logistics are all examples where technological innovation is meeting urgent demand.
Importantly, he notes that many of these technologies extend beyond military use. Counter-drone capabilities, for example, are equally relevant to protecting airports, hospitals, power plants and other critical infrastructure.
It's not about narrative. You need to combine urgent need with deep tech.
Marcin Hejka, OTB Ventures
A 'perfect storm' for founders and investors
Today's market conditions are creating what Hejka describes as a "perfect storm" for resilience technologies.
Governments and enterprises are actively funding solutions to emerging security and infrastructure challenges, allowing startups to validate products, secure customers and commercialise more quickly than in previous cycles. For investors, the combination of urgent demand, available funding and accelerating adoption is turning resilience into a commercially compelling market rather than simply a policy objective.
Europe's next global technology platforms
Hejka believes Europe is moving in the right direction. As governments continue investing in resilience across critical sectors, he expects many of today's emerging deep-tech businesses to become globally significant technology companies. He points to OTB Ventures portfolio company ICEYE as an example of how rapidly a European deep-tech business can scale when differentiated technology meets a growing global market.