In this episode of DefTechPod, Erica Dill-Russell speaks with Anssi Aikio of XD Solutions about Finnish defence innovation, Arctic testing, and why cold-weather experimentation matters far more than many companies realise.

The conversation explores how XD Solutions works with the Finnish Defence Forces and the wider Finnish defence ecosystem to connect emerging technology with real operational needs. Anssi explains where Finland is making progress, where the system is still fragmented, and how companies can begin to engage, whether through ecosystems, innovation networks, or practical testing opportunities.

A major focus of the episode is Griffin Tech Days, the large-scale Arctic event run on behalf of the Finnish Defence Forces and Finnish Special Operations Forces. Erica and Anssi discuss what companies actually learn when they test in extreme cold, from battery failure and de-icing issues to glove compatibility, brittle components, and the simple reality that laboratory testing is not the same as three days above the Arctic Circle.

They also get into a point that more founders need to hear: failure in a demanding test environment is not always a negative outcome. Often it is the fastest way to understand what needs fixing before a technology reaches operators in the field. The episode looks at how companies should prepare for these events, why the right technical people need to be in the room long before demo day, and how much better performance tends to be when firms treat preparation seriously.

The conversation closes with a look at the technologies currently catching attention in Finland, including battery innovation, Arctic mobility, sensor integration, GNSS-denied navigation, and practical solutions for harsh operational environments. It also highlights what is coming next through XD Solutions, SOF Week, and future Nordic testing opportunities.

In this episode of DefTechPod, Erica Dill-Russell speaks with Nico Nelson, founding general partner of Archangel Ventures, about what it really takes to build, back, and scale defence technology in Europe. Drawing on two decades across defence, intelligence, national security, corporate strategy, and investing, Nico brings a sharp view of where founders, investors, and institutions still get things wrong.

The conversation tackles one of the biggest questions in defence tech right now: whether companies can genuinely succeed as dual-use businesses in the early stages. Nico explains why Archangel backs defence-first and defence-only companies, why trying to serve both commercial and defence markets too early often weakens focus, and why Europe still struggles with the underlying definitions and funding structures around defence.

Erica and Nico also get into the practical reality of scaling across Europe. They discuss why defence markets cannot be treated as interchangeable, why country-to-country differences matter more than many founders expect, and how factors such as landed requirements, interoperability relationships, domestic capability priorities, and regional trust all shape whether a market is genuinely attractive.

They then turn to venture capital itself: what defence-focused investors should actually be doing beyond writing cheques, how hype can distort the market, and why marketing that outruns real capability is dangerous not just for investors, but for governments and end users as well. Nico sets out Archangel’s view that capital must be paired with operational judgement, technical roadmapping, investor readiness, and access to credible defence pathways if early-stage companies are going to survive the journey from promise to adoption.

The episode closes with a wider look at the future of European defence tech: which technologies are overhyped, where Nico sees real capability gaps, why open architectures and collaboration matter more than ever, and what a healthier long-term ecosystem could look like if Europe builds a stronger chain from angel capital through to growth and liquidity.

In this episode, Erica Dill-Russell speaks with Luca Leone, CEO of Kahootz, about secure collaboration in defence, what sovereignty actually means in practice, and why these questions matter far more than many early-stage companies realise. Luca brings a rare mix of experience across engineering, defence business development, innovation support, and software leadership, and the conversation gets into the less glamorous but very real layers that sit underneath effective defence work.

They discuss how Kahootz grew from a healthcare-focused collaboration platform into a long-standing defence supplier, and why secure information-sharing is not a side issue but part of the architecture that allows defence, government, and industry to work together properly. The episode looks at sovereignty beyond the usual buzzwords, including not just where data sits, but who controls the platform, who supports it, where it is developed, and how far down the supply chain those questions need to be asked.

The conversation also covers cyber risk, supply-chain vulnerability, and the practical tension between security and usability. Luca explains why organisations cannot just lock everything down and hope for the best, why people remain one of the biggest risks, and why resilience matters just as much as prevention. There is also a very useful discussion about the reality of secure-by-design approaches, the burden this places on smaller firms, and the trade-offs companies have to make when they cannot afford to build an entirely sovereign stack.

The second half of the episode turns to Luca’s role with Constellation Software and the world of defence software M&A. They discuss what makes a software company attractive from an acquisition perspective, what investors and acquirers want to hear, and why understanding the customer properly is still one of the clearest signals of a serious company. For founders building in defence software, this is a very grounded conversation about growth, relevance, and long-term value.

If you work in defence software, secure collaboration, cyber, government technology, or are trying to understand how sovereignty, resilience, and customer understanding fit together, this episode is well worth a listen.

In this episode, Erica Dill-Russell speaks with Jake Bostock, Technology Scout at Beaten Zone Venture Partners and an Australian Army reservist working in capability development, about the realities of the Australian defence market, AUKUS Pillar 2, and why Australia can be both a valuable landing point and a difficult market to break into.

They discuss what makes Australia different from the U.S. and UK, why a smaller defence market creates less room for blue-sky experimentation, and how companies often need to arrive with credibility already built elsewhere. Jake explains the Australian innovation architecture, the role of organisations such as Jericho, Army Battle Labs, SOCOM innovation groups, and ASCA, and why companies need to understand what these pathways actually offer before investing too much time in them.

The conversation also looks at where attention is moving in the Indo-Pacific, with particular focus on maritime capability, autonomy, counter-UAS, and systems that can operate in littoral environments. Jake gives a very practical view of what is drawing interest, where the real opportunities are, and why companies looking at APAC often need a more grounded market-entry strategy than they first expect.

They also discuss the defence venture capital landscape in Australia, including what dual-use and lethality-focused investment looks like, typical cheque sizes, and how companies should approach investors in the space. The episode closes with a candid discussion about veterans moving into defence industry, the value they bring beyond networks alone, and why lived operational context is often far more useful than companies realise.

For anyone trying to understand AUKUS opportunity, Australian defence innovation pathways, or how to think more realistically about market entry in the region, this is a very useful conversation.

In this episode of DefTechPod, Erica Dill-Russell speaks with Chloe Friberg, President of the Norwegian American Defense and Homeland Security Industry Council, about what serious market entry support actually looks like when a country is trying to help its defence companies succeed in the United States. They discuss how NADIC became a practical bridge between Norwegian industry and the U.S. defence ecosystem, why the wider Team Norway model works, and what other countries can learn from it.

The conversation gets beyond the usual language of international collaboration and into the mechanics that matter: trusted networks, embassy support, trade associations, service providers, conferences, pavilions, and the steady work of helping companies show up in the right rooms with the right message. Chloe explains how NADIC grew from an industry-led need into a mature support structure, backed by close coordination across government, industry, and research organisations.

They also speak candidly about the harder side of entering the U.S. market. Presence matters. Repetition matters. Budget matters. This episode is a useful listen for companies that assume one visit, one conference, or one good meeting is enough. Erica and Chloe discuss why it usually is not, why relationships still need to be built in person, and why some of the most valuable opportunities happen in the gaps between formal meetings.

If you are a defence or dual-use company thinking about the U.S. market, or trying to understand what a well-supported national ecosystem can look like in practice, this is a very grounded discussion.

For many international defence companies, entering the U.S. Department of War can feel slow, opaque, and highly competitive.

This episode challenges that assumption.

Erica Dill-Russell is joined by Colonel Jeffrey Naff, Director of the Foreign Comparative Testing (FCT) Program, to unpack one of the most underused and misunderstood pathways into U.S. defence acquisition.

FCT exists for a specific purpose: to identify, validate, and transition non-U.S. technologies into U.S. military use. It is not a traditional competition route, and it does not behave like most acquisition programmes.

Instead, it acts as a bridge between international innovation and U.S. service demand.

In this conversation, Colonel Naff explains how FCT actually works in practice, where companies go wrong, and what makes the difference between being noticed and being ignored.

Key themes covered:

• What FCT is and why it exists within U.S. defence acquisition
• Why submitting your technology is not the same as applying for funding
• The role of “socialisation” and why relationships still matter
• How FCT enables direct, sole-source acquisition for international technologies
• What “verification and validation” really means and why speed matters
• Common misconceptions that prevent companies from progressing
• Why persistence, not process-following, is often the deciding factor

One of the most important insights from this episode is simple:

FCT does not replace other routes into the U.S. market. It sits alongside them. The companies that succeed are the ones that pursue multiple paths at once and keep pushing until they create traction.

As Colonel Naff puts it, there is no single entry point, and no single right way in.

But there is a consistent pattern among those who make it through.

They do not stop.

About the guest:
Colonel Jeffrey Naff is the Director of the Foreign Comparative Testing (FCT) Program within the Office of the Secretary of War for Research and Engineering. He leads efforts to identify and transition international technologies into U.S. military capability, working across all services and acquisition bodies.

In this episode of DefTechPod, we speak with Andre Turville, a seasoned CEO and entrepreneur whose career spans cybersecurity, energy, clean technology and defence across Europe and Asia.

Andre shares a grounded view of what it actually takes to build and scale companies in complex, high-stakes sectors. From early exposure to engineering and entrepreneurship through to leading ventures at the intersection of innovation and resilience, this conversation explores the realities behind leadership, capital, and execution.

We discuss the challenges of navigating regulated environments, the role of dual-use technologies, and why building something meaningful in defence and security requires both patience and clarity of purpose. Andre also reflects on sustainability, resilience, and how commercial and defence priorities increasingly overlap.

This is a practical conversation for founders, operators and anyone trying to understand how innovation moves from idea to impact in defence and adjacent sectors.

Explore more insights, opportunities and pathways into defence innovation at DefTechLink: https://www.deftechlink.com

In this episode of DefTechPod, Erica Dill-Russell speaks with Dan Sawyers, Head of jHub in the UK.

Dan discusses why innovation has become such an urgent priority for defence and how the pace of technological change is forcing institutions to rethink how they identify, adapt and adopt new capabilities.

The conversation explores the role of jHub within the UK defence innovation landscape, the pressures created by emerging technologies such as AI, and why the ability to adapt quickly has always been a source of strategic advantage.

Dan also reflects on how defence organisations approach innovation in practice and where companies and technologists can realistically engage with the system.

• The purpose and role of jHub in UK defence
• Why innovation is becoming more urgent in defence institutions
• How emerging technologies are reshaping defence priorities
• The challenge of adapting and adopting technology at pace
• Where industry and innovators intersect with defence innovation structures

Dan Sawyers — Head of jHub

Erica Dill-Russell

Episode DescriptionTopics discussedGuestsHost

Justin Hedges | Executive Chairman & Co-Founder, Prevail Partners

Justin Hedges, former Royal Marines officer and Executive Chairman of Prevail Partners, joins DefTechPod to discuss what modern conflict is teaching the defence technology community.

Drawing on Prevail’s operational work in Ukraine, Justin explains why laboratory success rarely translates directly to battlefield relevance. He describes how the rapidly evolving electromagnetic environment on the front lines forces companies to iterate technology in weeks rather than years, and why systems that cannot adapt quickly become obsolete.

The conversation explores what defence innovators often misunderstand about deploying new systems. Justin outlines the importance of modular design, frontline testing, and maintaining engineering teams close to operational units so technology can evolve at the pace of conflict. He also discusses how companies get technology trialled in Ukraine and the role of partnerships in moving equipment from development into real operational environments.

Justin also highlights several lessons emerging from the war, including the tactical impact of low-cost FPV drones, the challenge of defeating Shahed-type attack drones, the growing role of AI-enabled loitering munitions, and the increasing use of unmanned ground vehicles for logistics and battlefield support.

The episode concludes with reflections on leadership after military service, the realities of building a defence company from scratch, and advice for operators transitioning into the defence and security sector.

In this episode of DefTechPod, Erica Dill-Russell speaks with Toby McCrindle, Partner and Head of Defence & Deep Tech at Mishcon de Reya, about what really happens between early enthusiasm and an actual defence contract.

Toby has worked across major aerospace and defence programmes, inside primes, within venture-backed start-ups, and now advises dual-use and defence tech companies navigating procurement, partnerships and funding. He brings a rare perspective from both sides of the table.

The conversation explores:

• Why interest from a senior officer or prime does not equal a contract
• How start-ups should position themselves when engaging large primes
• The most common IP mistakes founders make under time pressure
• Why desperation to get on contract can quietly destroy long-term value
• How to negotiate from confidence rather than supplication
• What is changing in UK defence procurement for SMEs
• When companies should involve legal support and when it is already too late

A recurring theme is simple but critical: know the value of what you have and protect it. Whether negotiating development work, joining a consortium, raising venture capital or signing a supply agreement, founders must understand what rights they are giving away and why.

The episode also addresses the structural gap many companies fall into. Positive conversations create momentum, but procurement requires sponsorship, budget alignment and formal pathways. Understanding that distinction changes how companies plan, fundraise and engage.

This is a grounded, practical discussion for defence founders, dual-use companies, SME leaders and anyone navigating primes, MOD contracts or venture rounds in the sector.

New episodes of DefTechPod drop every Thursday.

If you work in defence or dual-use and have experience worth sharing, we welcome the conversation.