This is your new project

Former PP President Pablo Casado has been out of the public eye for almost two years after passing the baton to Alberto Nunez Feijoo following the outbreak of a conflict with Isabel Díaz Ayuso over the CAM contract with PP’s brother. The President of Madrid in the midst of a pandemic. Since then, Little or nothing is known about the personal and professional life of the man who led 13-year-old Genova for nearly four years.

This Monday we learned that Casado teamed up with Ricardo Gomez-Acebo Botín, nephew of Ana Botín, to create a $150 million venture capital fund that will invest primarily in defense and artificial intelligence. after receiving the approval of the National Securities Market Commission (CNMV).

The Hyperion FCR Fund, as it will be called, will focus “on the areas of aerospace, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, and dual-use defense (excluding weapons and lethal equipment under Article 8 of the SFDR ESG). Thus, its goal: will raise 150 million euros and invest in European emerging technology companies, with a particular focus on Spanish SMEs, support its growth, competitiveness and internationalization. The manager of this FCR will be Singular Asset Management SGIIC, owned by Singular Bank, the first independent private bank in Spain, with €12,390 million under management.

In addition to Casado and Gómez-Acebo Botín, Joaquín Ortiz Escobar (former adviser to the Cabinet of the Minister of Defense) and José Antonio Bartrina Jiménez (CEO of Argos Defensa) appear as partners. On the other hand, the foundation ensures that the international advisory board will consist of former leaders such as NATO Secretary General and Prime Minister of Denmark Anders Rasmussen, US Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky, or the Ministers of Defense, Interior, Justice and Foreign Affairs French Affairs Michel Alliot-Marie. It also features technology experts and investors such as Martin Varsavsky, Richard Hurowitz, Nicole Junkermann, Robert Murray and Ilan Leiferman.

According to Hyperion, “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 growth forecast to continue over the next decade.

In addition, they emphasize that investment in dual-use technologies in the defense sector “is key to innovation in other sectors such as telecommunications, energy or mobility.” “Capital invested in this area allows the development of drones, satellites, radars, navigators, batteries or robots, as was the case with the Internet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, laser, infrared, microwave or ultrasound, benefiting the whole of society.” they explain.