Some European tech workers who might once have headed to the United States are looking at defense startups closer to home. Others are rushing back to Europe from jobs abroad. A sense of patriotism stirred by the war in Ukraine and U.S. President Donald Trump's upending of security alliances is a motivation for many, as well as the opportunity to make money as European governments boost military spending.

Defense companies exploring artificial intelligence will help the U.S. military "keep up" with rivals like China, a former fighter pilot told Fox News. American defense startups developing artificial intelligence systems are crucial to helping the U.S. armed forces keep up with rivals like China, a military tech executive told Fox News "There [are] massive amounts of effort going into innovation in China, and we shouldn't be naive to that," said Red 6 CEO Dan Robinson. "Be under no illusion: the threat from China, specifically the [Chinese Communist Party], is real." Weapons equipped with artificial intelligence capabilities are a key focus for the U.S. and Chinese militaries. "What we're understanding as a nation is that a lot of innovation now is coming from nontraditional pathways," Robinson, who was previously an F-22 pilot for the Air Force, continued.

In a sign that national security tech is a safe bet even during troubled economic times, defense- and security-focused VC firm Razor's Edge Ventures today announced the closing of its third startup investment fund at just under $340 million. It exceeded the initial target of $250 million, the firm notes, and will target companies developing autonomous systems, space technologies, cybersecurity, AI and machine learning, digital signal processing and other aerospace and defense technologies. Founded in 2010, Razor's Edge funds multistage startups with both commercial and government customers but specializes in ventures that "[help] national security community [members] solve difficult technology problems and advance critical missions," in its own words. The outfit's interest areas are informed by "strategic national security priorities," managing partner Mark Spoto tells TechCrunch, with the ostensible goal of helping the U.S. maintain "technological superiority." "While economic conditions in the broad financial markets are challenging at this time, spending for defense has grown significantly both in the U.S. and abroad; we face an increasingly complex and growing threat environment," Spoto said via email.