Pablo Casado launches fund to invest in artificial intelligence, aerospace and defense | Companies

The National Securities Market Commission has registered Hyperion Fund FCR, a new Spanish venture fund focused on aerospace, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, and dual-use defense (excluding weapons and lethal equipment). Among its investment partners, the former president of the Popular Party, Pablo Casado, stands out, who left public presence in mid-2022 after his departure from the conservative party and the arrival of Alberto Nunez Feijoo from Galicia. Ricardo Gomez-Acebo Botin, nephew of Santander President Ana Botin, is also taking part.

“The purpose of this growth equity fund is to raise €150 million and invest in European start-up technology companies, with a particular focus on Spanish SMEs to support their growth, competitiveness and internationalization,” they explain in a press release.

The manager of this fund is Singular Asset Management SGIIC, owned by Singular Bank, a private banking firm with €12,390 million under management.

Four of the investment team’s partners “are experts in industrial security and defense,” such as Joaquín Ortiz Escobar and José Antonio Bartrina Jiménez; “in geostrategy and international relations,” like Pablo Casado Blanco; and “in the field of finance and investment”, like Ricardo Gomez-Acebo Botín; and Daniel Lorrain as director.

The International Advisory Council is composed of government officials such as former NATO Secretary General and former Prime Minister of Denmark Anders Fogh Rasmussen, US Ambassador and former Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky or former Minister of Defense, Interior, Justice and Foreign Affairs of France Michel Alliot-Marie. The CIO of SAAB Inc. is also participating. Robert Murray, Rothschild senior advisor Richard Hurowitz and unicorn investors Martin Warsavsky and Nicole Junkermann.

He anchor investor It is the family office of Nortia, a shareholder in Sacyr, Merlin and Arcano, as well as fund managers Q-energy, McWin, Serena and Seaya, in which it is also a reference investor along with Iberdrola in the Andromeda fund.

“The current geostrategic scenario reinforces the need to enhance technological sovereignty and security capabilities in Europe, which has led to an increase in investment in the aerospace, cybersecurity and defense sectors by more than 50%, with steady growth forecast over the next decade,” they explain. From below.

To this end, the firm says Hyperion “has a very mature portfolio of projects with high estimated returns, presenting potential investors with the opportunity for financial diversification and sector differentiation, being one of the first European funds in this vertical.” “

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