Founded by a team of early researchers and pioneers in the future of warfare and defence, Expeditions invests in leading startups at the intersection of security and deep tech. We champion innovation in these crucial sectors, aiming to break down institutional resistance and driving the policy changes that will enable exceptional European founders to succeed.
Our founders are experienced defence industry innovators, who have been contributing to policy and research on the use of AI in warfare since 2017.
Europe faces mounting threats. War on its borders, energy dependency, widening technology gaps, cyberattacks, disinformation, and drone warfare. These challenges demand action and a sense of urgency.
We believe that closer civil-military collaboration is Europe’s chance to spark a new industrial renaissance, fusing its defence needs with its world-class talent and entrepreneurial energy, and powering progress for years to come.
This moment demands builders who turn urgency into invention, and security challenges into global leadership. We exist to back those entrepreneurs designing the architecture of Europe’s security, and in doing so, restoring its economic and strategic power.
Dr Mikolaj Firlej is an investor, academic and policy expert in security and defence, specialising in the application of autonomous systems and AI. He completed his D.Phil at Oxford University with a thesis on ‘The Problematisation of Autonomous Weapon Systems’, and has been a deep tech investor since 2016. Miko co-founded Firlej Kastory, a private investment firm, and launched Expeditions, the leading early-stage investor in the future of European security, in 2021.
Miko has advised both the UK and Polish governments, working as a security analyst and policy advisor, and was also part of a UN Group of Governmental Experts on the regulation of autonomous weapons. He established the Centre for Technology and Global Affairs at Oxford University and has taught at the University of Surrey on AI Law and Regulation. He holds three Masters degrees in addition to his doctorate.
Stanislaw Kastory is a co-founder and General Partner at Expeditions, with the mission to rebuild European security. Stanislaw leads investor relations and operations, as well as building the firm’s network across European deep tech, defence and security. He is also still active in the private investment firm Firlej Kastory, which invests in other VC funds, and led to the establishment of Expeditions, along with Mikolaj Firlej.
Previously, he specialised in M&A and corporate law during his Masters’ degree and later joined DZP, Poland’s largest law firm. He went on to establish and lead DZP Future, advising early-stage startups on capital raising, international expansion, restructuring, and corporate disputes.
Ewa Milewska is an experienced finance executive and operator, with expertise in M&A, due diligence, and strategic growth. She is CFO and Partner at Expeditions, the leading early-stage investor in the future of European security, where she leads financial management, compliance and reporting, as well as supporting operations and deal execution alongside Stanislaw Kastory.
Prior to Expeditions, Ewa spent over a decade at PwC as Director in the Deals team, advising private equity and corporate clients across Europe on M&A transactions, financial due diligence, and SPA negotiations. As CEO and CFO of Akademeia Educational Group, she managed the establishment of the prestigious Akademeia High School alongside its founder, and led its sale to International Schools Partnership, with an average 7X return for investors. She is a Chartered Financial Analyst and holds a Masters degree from the Warsaw School of Economics.
Samuel Burrell is an investor, soldier and former operator, specialising in defence and security investments. He has first-hand experience as an end-user of defence tech, having served as Captain in the Royal Marines, a career which included operational deployments in Afghanistan and the Indian Ocean. He is still a serving reservist.
After leading operations for a Rocket Internet startup, including raising money from seed through to Series B, Samuel subsequently transitioned into venture investing, cutting his teeth at Octopus Ventures. He went on to specialise in deep tech and quantum at NSSIF, leading investments into Oxford Ionics, PsiQuantum, Riverlane, Infleqtion and NuQuantum. With his deep expertise in defence applications and his extensive military and security networks, Samuel is now Partner and Investment Lead for AUKUS at Expeditions. He holds an MBA from INSEAD and writes a weekly newsletter This Week in Dual-Use.
Anthony Mensier is an Investment Manager at Expeditions and Director of the Silent Unseen Incubator, where he specialises in technical due diligence and venture development for frontier technologies. With over a decade of experience in Defence Tech, Cyber, and hybrid hardware-software systems, Anthony brings a uniquely technical lens to identifying the next generation of high-impact companies.
Prior to joining Expeditions full-time following a two-year tenure as a Venture Partner, Anthony led engineering and data organisations building secure intelligence platforms for National Security. His operational background spans AI, DevSecOps, and high-performance systems. He possesses deep expertise in regulatory frameworks (FedRAMP, Impact Levels, Cyber Essentials+), enabling him to help founders design compliant, scalable, and operationally lean products from day one.
Today, Anthony focuses on assessing and guiding exceptional early-stage teams, helping them validate technology and refine strategy at the intersection of advanced software and security-critical hardware.
Sophia Habsburg-Lothringen graduated from IE University in Madrid with a Bachelor’s in International Relations (BIR). She is fluent in Hungarian, English, German, and Spanish. After developing a strong interest in defense and security matters, she pursued a curricular internship at the Permanent Delegation of Hungary to NATO, contributing to the delegation’s work and supporting preparations for the 2023 NATO Summit. During her final semester at IE University, she completed a capstone project with the European Parliament Liaison Office in Spain, focusing on the impact of disinformation in electoral processes, particularly with the rise of AI-driven disinformation tactics. In 2024 she participated in the John N. Lauer Leadership Training Program at the Hungarian American Coalition in Washington, DC
Andrzej joined Expeditions in early 2023, immediately after graduating from Universita Bocconi in Milan (Economics and Social Sciences). Since then, he has participated in finding, processing, and investing in most promising early stage defence and security companies. Besides being an associate, he is responsible for internal research, mostly focusing on two distinctive areas: The practical use of AI in defence and Scalable methods of synthetic content detection (and the wider AI Safety and Security vertical).
Katarzyna Bar is an operations and executive support professional with extensive experience enabling senior leadership teams through disciplined coordination, strong operational governance, and trusted stakeholder engagement. At Expeditions, she helps run the firm’s day-to-day operating rhythm, supporting investor-facing processes and internal coordination, and ensuring information, timelines and deliverables are managed to a consistent standard.
Prior to Expeditions, Katarzyna supported CEOs, founders and board-level leadership across real estate, logistics, telecoms, aerospace, education and industrials, including roles at 7R, Akademeia Educational Group, PZL-Świdnik, General Electric and Ericsson. She completed postgraduate studies in labour law and social insurance at Lazarski University and studied at the American Studies Center at the University of Warsaw.