Sparkmind Capital

Join us on this episode of the Protect Europe Podcast as Sami Luukkonen shares his lessons learned from his career spanning consulting, defence tech, and start-up acceleration. Real tangible insights on Europe's high-tech potential, the impact of war on innovation, and strategies to bridge the innovation gap. Discover how Europe's unique assets and challenges shape its tech future.

Colin Brown and Martti Wallin dive deep with Jens Holzapfel of Nordic Air Defence, a startup developing counter-UAS solutions. This Protect Europe Podcast episode delves into defence technology, market positioning, and the future of drone warfare and cybersecurity.

This episode explores cutting-edge innovations in deep tech, including laser mining for critical minerals, AI security solutions, and space laser communications. Martti, Colin and Chris discuss how these technologies enhance European sovereignty, security, and energy independence, highlighting the importance of deep tech leadership.

In this insightful interview, Jarek from Balnord shares his journey from building tech companies in Scandinavia to founding a deep tech VC fund focused on dual-use and frontier technologies in Europe. Discover how his team leverages operational experience, European networks, and strategic investments to support innovative startups in space tech, healthcare, and industrial resilience.

In this episode of Category Leaders, Colin Brown and Martti Wallin explore the fascinating history of Roche, a Swiss pharmaceutical giant, from its origins in the 1890s to its evolution into a leader in biotech and diagnostics. Discover how strategic capital reallocation, innovation, and navigating geopolitical risks shaped its journey and contributed to modern medicine. This episode explores Roche's strategic evolution from a vitamins manufacturer to a biotech and precision medicine powerhouse. We analyse their innovative approach to diagnostics, biologics, and their system of scientific autonomy, governance, and process power that sustains their industry leadership.

In this Protect Europe Podcast (PEP), Colin Brown sits down with Patryk Szymczak, CEO of Si Robotics. They discuss Patryk's multi-stage framework for deciding where to locate your company. How he is aiming to hire the "Physical AI Mafia" south of Birmingham (UK), to build a Category Leading company and take on the largest market in the world.

In this episode of the Protect Europe podcast, Colin Brown interviews Seppo Aaltonen, the Vice President for NATO & Nordics, Mission Systems at ICEYE, a leading satellite company. They discuss ICEYEs' innovative radar satellites, their business model serving both civilian and defence sectors, and the growing demand for space-based capabilities amid geopolitical tensions.

In this Protect Europe Podcast (PEP), Colin Brown interviews Kevin King, CEO of Anatra, about the innovative use of cargo UAVs in logistics and warfare. They discuss the importance of logistics in modern warfare, the technology behind UAVs, and the potential for humanitarian aid. Kevin shares insights on market strategy, funding, and the challenges of building a startup in the aerospace sector. The conversation highlights the impact of climate change on logistics and the need for effective solutions in crisis situations.

In this week's episode of Sparkmind Invested the co-hosts Martti Wallin Christopher Lyrhem, and Colin Brown unpack the three events they saw and talk to the investor trends behind them.

Precision factory manufacturing via franchise with Isembard.

Ukraine is building bilateral export relationships for "combat-proven technologies" with its closest allies, UFORCE.

Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) that compete on price and resilience, Capture Energy.

This show is not investment advice, but it is entertaining and hopefully optimised for insights per minute.

In this Protect Europe Podcast, Colin Brown interviews Oskari Jaakkola, the co-founder of Cactos, a modern energy company focused on providing affordable electricity and energy storage solutions to industrial users. Oskari discusses the company's vertically integrated approach, the challenges of the electricity market, and the importance of their infrastructure fund in providing financing to clients. He shares insights into the company's growth, pivotal decisions made in its early days, and the team's background. The conversation also touches on the future of energy consumption and the role of technology in managing electricity costs.