About Forterra

Formerly known as RRAI, Forterra is revolutionizing ground autonomy for both defense and commercial applications. Their mission is simple but ambitious: get humans out of harm's way. While many startups chase flashy features, Forterra focuses on building autonomous systems that work "nearly every time" in the most demanding environments. Their approach is working: they've secured major programs like Rogue Fires with Oshkosh, where they're helping the Marine Corps project force with minimal human footprint. With 265 employees and growing, they're proving that deep tech startups can successfully navigate the complex journey from R&D to production-scale deployment.

For more about Forterra: forterra.com

For more about Scott Sanders: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottbsanders/

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Kyle Olson's path to defense tech started in a firefight. As a Marine Raider Team Commander in Iraq in 2020, he found himself coordinating airstrikes with a broken military radio. The solution? A forbidden Iraqi cell phone and Signal messaging app. That moment crystallized something he'd long suspected: commercial technology had outpaced military equipment in many areas. Instead of heading to business school as planned, Kyle joined Fairwater Labs, where he's now COO, helping build the next generation of defense tech companies.

Spun out of a major Bay Area VC firm, Fairwater Labs is productizing the defense innovation process. Unlike traditional venture studios that retain majority ownership, Fairwater gives founders control while providing deep operational support. They've developed a systematic approach to identifying market opportunities, matching them with the right founders, and supporting early growth. The model is working: their first company achieved a successful exit within 36 months, and they're on track to launch four new companies in 2024.

For more on Fairwater: fairwaterlabs.com

For more about Kyle: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-o/

For more Crossing the Valley: https://youtube.com/@crossingthevalley

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About Datashapes AI

Founded with technology developed at Stanford, Datashapes brings a unique approach to electronic warfare and signals intelligence. Their platform processes spectrum data at the tactical edge, enabling operators to make real-time decisions. With 21 patents and deployments spanning special operations to commercial venues, they're proving that signal processing innovation can serve both battlefield and civilian use cases. Rather than organizing by service branch, they've taken a unique domain-first approach that's enabling adoption across space, maritime, and land domains simultaneously.

For more on Data Shapes: datashapesai.com

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About Strike Solutions

Founded two years ago in Nevada, Strike Solutions is seeking to make sense of the IoT data explosion. Their flagship product, Thunderdome, is a multi-modular sensor fusion platform that processes spectrum data at the tactical edge. By correlating signals with video feeds for facial and license plate recognition, Thunderdome provides crucial situational awareness for operators.

Strike also recently launched Prism, a packet capture solution that helps customers identify compromises in their tech stacks. Both products demonstrate Strike's ability to rapidly develop and deploy capabilities that solve immediate operational needs.

For more:

On Strike Solutions: strikesolutions.io

On Emma: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmaprz/

On Chris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-%E2%80%9Cpacman%E2%80%9D-spach-4ab077111/

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About the Garrett and Dave

In 2019, Marine reconnaissance veteran Garrett Smith looked at tactical operators' challenges and saw something most others missed. While the industry chased large, networked systems, Smith recognized a fundamental gap: warfighters at the tactical edge lacked the software tools to make sense of their growing data streams. As a former Reconnaissance, Intelligence, and Infantry Officer, a graduate of Stanford University's Ford Dorsey Program in International Policy Studies, and a former head of business development at Kespry, Garrett had the perspective, network, and know-how to do something about it.

He’s joined on this episode by Dave Caudle, Reveal’s VP of Defense and Security, and an Army infantry veteran in his own right.

Notably, both Garrett and Dave continue to serve in reserve units, maintaining direct connection with their user base. Their technical leadership includes a number of additional Silicon Valley operators who bring deep technical expertise to these defense challenges.

For more on Reveal: https://www.revealtech.ai/

For more on Garrett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wgarrettsmith/

For more on Dave: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-caudle-10223270/

For more Crossing the Valley: www.valleycrossers.com

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About Bazze

Founded in 2019, Bazze is an intelligence platform designed to transform how the defense and intelligence community accesses and utilizes commercial data. The company's platform enables users to know everything about a person, place, or thing using exclusively commercial data sources. Users of Bazze technology can quickly identify potential security risks and gather comprehensive intelligence using publicly available information.

For more on Bazze, or if you’re interested in checking out their products, head over to bazze.io

For more on Sammy, you can follow him on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/semwangu/

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This summer, Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET) at Georgetown published the paper Building the Tech Coalition: How Project Maven and the U.S. 18th Airborne Corps Operationalized Software and Artificial Intelligence for the Department of Defense (check it out here).

Today’s episode dives deep into the case, highlighting a crucial illustration of successful defense innovation.

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About Chris

Christopher Kirchhoff has been a key figure in many major developments in defense and national security over the past decade. He served as Obama's director for strategic planning at the National Security Council, was a senior civilian aide to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and authored influential reports on America's war in Iraq, the space shuttle Columbia disaster, and the Ebola response. Crucially, along with Raj Shah, Kirchhoff helped establish the Defense Innovation Unit Experimental (DIUx), which has become a vital piece in bringing modern technology into the mission of national defense.

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Darkhive, founded in the fall of 2021, aims to address the critical gap in the defense community by building affordable, high-performance tactical drones that are designed with the end-user in mind. The company places a strong emphasis on open, discoverable systems that can be easily integrated with existing infrastructure, ensuring that their products remain useful and adaptable over time. Darkhive has secured multiple government contracts, including a Phase III award from Autonomy Prime, and has received widespread support from various branches of the military, including the Air Force, Space Force, Army, Marine Corps, and Navy.

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In this episode of "Crossing the Valley," we are joined by Ian Kalin, CEO and founder of Turbine One, to discuss the challenges and opportunities in bringing innovative technology to the defense sector.

Key topics covered:

- Ian's diverse background from Navy counterterrorism officer to tech entrepreneur

- The mission of Turbine One and its focus on edge AI for warfighter safety

- Navigating the complex landscape of defense contracting and acquisitions

- The importance of exercises and field testing in product development

- Overcoming obstacles in the "frozen middle" of defense procurement

- The key elements needed for success in defense tech startups

Ian shares candid insights on the realities of building a defense tech company, including dealing with industry incumbents, protecting intellectual property, and aligning with warfighter needs. This episode offers valuable lessons for entrepreneurs and innovators looking to make an impact in the defense and national security space.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.valleycrossers.com