Europe arouses the need to take a position in defense, identical to European VC. But with the painful history of the Soviet competition, Lithuania didn’t wait for the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine 5% to six% of its GDP For military expenses – and start -defense.
Sovereign VC Fund in Lithuania Capital Coinvest He was a pioneer in this respect and is still a protruding that does not require civil use. “We were the first in the region [to be] Fully authorized to defense investments in March 2023, “said Viktorija Trimbel, her managing partner from February 2023.
Unlike many Lithuania, the Trimbel is not high at all. But what is lacking in the potential of basketball, it compensates for energy and tenacity, especially when it involves innovations in defense technology to strengthen Europe’s security.
Unmanned defense systems (UDS), a company based in Vilnius, focused on the optimization of “killing the chain”, received the largest Coinvest investment in this domain, but this is not the only one. According to Trimbel, Evergreen Fund has invested about EUR 6.8 million (about 7.37 million dollars) in air start-ups, defense and double use since 2023.
Compared to rounds price a billion dollars flooding American defense technology corporations, the amount may not seem too impressive. It is probably that you simply do not take this into the resident, something that folks often call for this in this small Baltic country with 2.89 million inhabitants.
Co -creation is one other belief that Lithuania often emphasizes, like Coinvest. As the name suggests, the early stage fund coexist in startups with business angels and other VC. In the case of contracts at an early stage, it accepted the restriction Division of profit distribution This trimbel is particularly exciting.
As a member of the management board of Lithuania Business Angel Network (Litban), which currently has 324 members, especially desires to see more intelligent money on the market. While the collective value of the Lithuanian startup ecosystem has increased 39 times in 10 yearsThe country still lacks an influential output as Skype’s for Estonia.
Despite this, liquidity events, resembling Vinted’s secondary sales, had a drip effect, and Trimbel believes that Coinvest can quickly multiply this euro. When he left Interactio after just 18 months, his principles were increased by the return of Angels’ investors from 9x to 34x. “I think it was one of the factors that facilitated the explosive development of the ecosystem of business angels,” said Trimbel.
Timel also supports the success of others in securing capital. The only limited partner, the National Development Bank in Lithuania also provided “main capital injections to another local VC, such as BSV Ventures or Scalewolf, including [the] Lithuanian contribution to NATO Innovation Fund (NIF) “, famous is LinkedIn.
Similarly, the trimbel is content That governments throughout Europe include the trend of “investing in deterrent and defense to further support the competitiveness and resistance of European countries.”
It is needed that Lithuania is very aware, often deeply personally. “When I was 18, I saw Russian tanks killing people with my own eyes. So for us this is not the story of a textbook, “Trimbel said, referring to 1991. January events in which the Soviet army tried to suppress the Movement of Independence of Lithuania.
The trauma of Soviet rule, which is deeply rooted in the collective memory of Lithuania, extends far beyond 1991. “This is something that every family experienced in one way or another: profession, deportations, murder. We don’t have to learn why we have to invest in defense, “said Trimbel.
Despite this, since the war in Ukraine, a renovated sense of diligence and solidarity. Edition 2025 Radarpublic campaign to lift funds for Ukraine, Over 5.6 million euros For drones and anti -done systems, including UDS. Trimbel supported him, encouraging: “Support Ukraine now … and every other day to victory.”
Like just about all Lithuanians, Trimbel recalls where it was, when Russia began a full invasion of its eastern neighbor on February 24, 2022. A few days earlier she was abroad with two daughters and discussed whether or not they should return as signs of war-until her youngest daughter didn’t indicate that they’d to: they left the cat.
Cat or no cat, Trimbel would probably return to Lithuania in each cases. She indicates that her name, Viktorija, or victory, is a good match to her relentless personality. Her circle of ladies is also equal: “Instead of going to the bar and discuss a new purse, dress or lipstick, we go to the shooting range,” she said with a smile.
Of course, not everyone reacts in the same way – only man experienced a flight or freezing of the reflex. However, after the war, she tried to get others out of this paralysis, encouraging them to take practical steps. One of them was joining volunteer initiatives that gained a couple throughout Lithuania.
The most symbolic organization in this field is the Lithuanian relationship with the non-profit government (Lru). Although she is dedicated to defense and strengthening Lithuania, its actions go beyond military training: together with Coinvest and others, he co -organized Fire Shield Hackathonwhich can return in 2025 in the case of the third edition.
This is the context in which the Trimbel is shown above, together with the Union commander, Colonel Linas Idzelis (in uniform) and pensioner Lt. Non-Rank Country Posted to support NATO allies in Afghanistan after September 11.
LRU also contributed to a civil response during the Covid-19 pandemic, like the Trimbel, which invested efforts in Ventilation protection project based on a helmet. “Covid was a good attempt to mobilize society in times of danger,” she said. This threat has modified to her, but it is very real.
But even now, the Trimbel cares about areas apart from defensive technology, identical to Coinvest. She was enthusiastic about the startup of the portfolio Fight15 And this upcoming “Labrador Walk“Wandering with dogs outdoors to encourage people to take more steps to be more lively – literally.
However, as she wrote in the last Post LinkedIn“No other investment returns will be important if Ukraine does not receive sufficient support from allies and Europe will be further attacked.” As her name and personality suggests, she is going to not go away in her efforts to forestall this result.