Crossing the Valley

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.

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.

David Brown, CEO of CounterCraft, joins Noah to discuss the company's journey in the digital security industry. David covers the company's foray into the American market, its partnership strategies, and plans for future growth.

Timestamps:

00:00-00:45: The Evolution of Deception in Warfare and IT

03:04-03:26: Spanish Cybersecurity Startup's Unique Approach

04:37-06:10: Countercraft's Deception Platform

09:16-12:43: Early Days: From Commercial to Government

13:39-16:52: Scaling through Partnerships

29:06-31:38: Democratizing Deception Technology

35:33-36:12: What's Next for Counter Craft

36:31-37:43: Advice for Startup Founders

For more visit: https://www.countercraftsec.com/

About Our Guests:

Ben Kohlmann is a retired F-18 pilot, former consultant, founder, and current investor at Cubit Capital. Ben has touched it all, and has a well-rounded, thoughtful, and purpose-driven perspective on defense investing.

Dan Magy is a repeat defense founder and the co-founder and CEO of Firestorm Labs. Dan's experience includes starting a counter-UAS company and working closely with special operations forces, giving him deep insight into the defense innovation landscape. He’s also prolific on LinkedIn, where his near-daily drone videos are wildly popular with the defense community and beyond.

Timestamps:

00:39-01:40: Introduction to Modular, Attritable Systems in Defense Tech

01:56-06:41: The Emergence of Drone Swarms in Modern Warfare

07:06-08:47: Asymmetric Warfare Advantage: Countering High-Tech with Low-Cost Solutions

09:08-10:53: Challenges in Adapting US Military Innovation and Procurement for Modern Conflicts

11:40-13:48: US Missed Opportunity to Innovate and Learn in Ukraine Conflict

13:48-14:46: The Importance of Real-World Testing and Rapid Innovation in Military Technology Development

16:30-17:58: Leveraging Battlefield Experience for Innovation

18:20-19:33: Navigating the Government Procurement Process for Startups

19:34-23:09: The Importance of Lobbying and Customer Discovery for Defense Startups"

23:47-24:58: Finding the Right Customer

26:01-30:58: The Keys to Successful Defense Tech Startups: Relationships, Go-to-Market Strategy, and Building Credibility

31:13-34:34: Navigating the DOD Innovation Ecosystem

36:02-36:25: DIU's Evolution

36:59-38:11: Firestorm's Progress and Future Milestones

38:12-39:15: Effective Storytelling for Congress in Defense Appropriations

42:32-45:51: Finding Alignment and Purpose in Your Role

In this week’s Crossing the Valley, Noah sits down with Hank Holland, CEO of Amaero International, a modern manufacturing company that’s increasingly involved in modernizing America’s industrial base.

In this episode of Crossing the Valley Noah sits down with Greer Carper, the Senior Vice President of Corporate Development and Strategy at Fortem Technologies.

Timestamps:

00:00-03:59: A Journey through Defense Technology Development

03:59-07:04: Moving from Investing to Operating in a Growing Company

07:55-08:47: Navigating Strategy Roles in Startups

10:00-12:38: From Commercial Markets to the Defense Space

18:45-22:02: Leveraging RDTE Funding

22:50-24:23: Navigating the Trade-offs in Counter-UAS Systems

26:10-27:00: International Expansion

27:30-28:45: Next Steps in Defense Contracts and Counter-UAS Innovations

In this episode of Crossing the Valley, I had the pleasure of speaking with Misha Govshteyn, the CEO of Macrofab, a Texas-based cloud manufacturing company that is working to revitalize American manufacturing. With a network of over 100 factories across the United States and Mexico, Macrofab supplies defense contractors and helps them produce goods quickly, cost-effectively, and at a higher quality, all while keeping production closer to home.

About Vannevar Labs

Vannevar Labs is building the next-generation “non-kinetic defense prime.”

Today, they're mentioned in the same breath as defense behemoths like Anduril and Palantir. Since founding the company in their Stanford dorm room in 2019, CEO Brett Granberg and President Nini Hamrick have grown the company dramatically. From $3.5 million in annual contract value in 2021, they did $25 million in 2022, before growing to $49 million last year.

What's even more crazy is, unlike most of their peers, they're already profitable. Brett and Nini know that defense modernization is not a fight that's going to be won by one company alone.

Check us out at ValleyCrossers.com and frontdoor.substack.com for the full writeup!

Timestamps

00:00:00-00:00:34 - Introduction to Vannevar Labs

00:00:34-00:01:50 - Founding Story

00:04:22-00:05:55 - Reactions to Starting a Defense Tech Company

00:09:29-00:11:55 - Building Trust with Customers

00:13:17-00:17:41 - Selecting and Working with Champions

00:26:30-00:28:51 - Transitioning to Larger Programs

00:36:30-00:39:58 - Future Plans and Growth of Vannevar Labs

00:40:09-00:45:50 - Talent and Hiring at Vannevar Labs

In this episode of Crossing the Valley, I had the pleasure of speaking with Jade Baranski, the founder and CEO of Mobilize. Mobilize is a company that connects end users within the federal government to the companies that provide the capabilities they need.

Jade shares the story of how VISION came to be, starting with their participation in an Air Force pitch competition, with twists turns and pivots along the way. The end result is Vision, a data platform, has changed the way data is used in the defense “innovation” and acquisition communities to match buyers and sellers.

For more on the Mobilize team, check out mobilizevision.com

CTV Subscribers,

I’m excited to bring you this timely episode of "Crossing the Valley." I had the opportunity to sit down with Kara Kramer, the Director of Business Development at AeroVironment, and winner of the first Replicator award!

In this episode, Kara spills the beans on AeroVironment's recent win, and goes in depth on the Switchblade loitering munition. We dive into the details of the program, the future of autonomy in the defense industry, and AeroVironment itself.

Kara shares valuable insights on the importance of focusing on customer requirements, the benefits of working with both startups and large companies, and the significance of scalability in defense innovation.

If you're interested in learning more about AeroVironment, their role in the Replicator initiative, and the future of autonomy in defense, this episode is a must-listen.

If you’d like to learn more about AeroVironment, or to join the team, check out avinc.com!