According to a recent LinkedIn post from EquityZen, the firm is observing what it describes as a surge in investor interest in defense technology and so‑called “Hard Power” assets. The post frames recent geopolitical shifts as having tightened links between Silicon Valley and the U.S. defense establishment, pushing software-defined autonomy from experimentation into active deployment.
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The post cites PitchBook data indicating that defense tech startups raised $28.4B in the first half of 2025, which it characterizes as record interest in the sector. It also notes that, on EquityZen’s platform, aerospace and national security opportunities appear to be drawing more investor attention than traditional software-as-a-service names.
According to the post, demand for leading defense tech companies in the secondary market is sufficiently strong that these names often command notable valuation premiums, with EquityZen presented as the source for this secondary-market observation. Examples highlighted include Anduril Industries’ scaling of manufacturing and Shield AI’s autonomous systems, which are portrayed as emblematic of the current defense tech wave.
For investors, the post suggests a rotation toward defense, aerospace, and national security exposure within the late-stage private market, which could support higher implied valuations and potentially more active liquidity events in this segment. However, EquityZen also reiterates standard risk disclosures about pre-IPO investing, emphasizing illiquidity, valuation volatility, and the possibility of total loss, underscoring that heightened demand does not eliminate fundamental investment risk.