Part I: From Defense Primes to Deep Tech Startups

In this special two-part edition of Drone Wars, host Dan Magy sits down with defense tech entrepreneur Nathan Mintz, CEO of CX2, for a wide-ranging conversation on innovation, autonomy, and the evolving front lines of national security.

Nathan reflects on his early engineering work at Boeing and Raytheon, then dives into his transition into the startup world.
He shares the founding stories of Epirus—recognized for pioneering microwave weaponry—and Spartan, which delivered defense-grade radar into the commercial market.
The discussion explores how lean, capital-efficient startups are stretching the boundaries of modern military technology and redefining how innovation moves from concept to deployment.

Timestamps:
00:00 – Welcome and Nathan Mintz's early background
02:18 – Working on radar systems at Boeing and Raytheon
05:30 – Epirus: Founding, fundraising, and microwave breakthroughs
10:04 – Building Spartan: Startups in automotive radar and defense
13:56 – CX2 and rethinking spectrum operations
17:20 – Why defense innovation needs capital efficiency
21:10 – What Ukraine taught us about spectrum warfare

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About Drone Wars

Firestorm Studios brings you The Drone Wars Podcast, a show that explores all facets of autonomous systems - ground, air, and sea - and their transformative impact on various aspects of human life, from agriculture to warfare. We feature interviews with CEOs, founders, and C-suite executives from the world's leading autonomy and robotics companies.