Winning with Defence Tech

Why Most Defense Startups Will Fail on the Battlefield (and how to fix it) w. Gregory Letare

He is a senior officer in the Swiss army’s drone and robotic division, red teaming specialist, and founder of a company focused on transformation capabilities and wargaming in defense tech. Gregory explains how he stress-tests military technology by asking one core question: “How can the enemy defeat this?” Drawing on lessons from the war in Ukraine and modern drone warfare, he discusses why many defense startups and traditional forces face challenges when new technology meets real battlefield conditions. He outlines a practical methodology for red teaming and wargaming, the kill chain framework, and how to identify vulnerabilities in your product before deployment. You’ll learn: * Why brute force thinking often falls short and the importance of considering the opponent’s perspective * How to role-play as the enemy using OSINT and structured scenarios * The difference between focused red teaming and large-scale wargaming * Why elements like camouflage and counter-UAS systems are increasingly critical * Key realities about how current conflicts are unfolding This conversation offers a clear framework for evaluating defense technology with intellectual honesty and strategic depth. Whether you work in defense tech, strategy, or are interested in the future of warfare, it provides useful insights into building more resilient solutions. Gregory shares practical experience from someone actively working in the field.

Persistant ISR is a lie w. Mathieu Parr from Marble

Persistent surveillance is no longer a future capability. It is becoming an operational necessity. In our latest podcast conversation with the team at Marble, we explored one of the biggest gaps in maritime and Arctic security: the lack of continuous situational awareness across critical infrastructure, sea lanes, and remote operating environments. Traditional systems can provide snapshots. Satellites pass overhead. Aircraft can be deployed when something happens. But neither creates true persistence. Marble is approaching the problem differently. By combining autonomous high speed drones with localized hangar infrastructure, their system is designed to deliver continuous coverage across vast maritime areas. The result is the ability to monitor up to 15,000 square kilometers per day while maintaining rapid response and autonomous redeployment. This is not just about drones. It is about rethinking how nations, operators, and organizations protect cables, coastlines, shipping routes, and critical assets in an increasingly contested environment. A fascinating discussion on defence innovation, autonomous systems, and the future of maritime surveillance.

How to Get Your Tech Adopted w. Krists Avots

Krists is an Entrepreneur in Residence at Unilab Defense — a NATO DIANA acceleration site — and the founder of a new defense tech startup building agentic soldier augmentation systems. He’s evaluated hundreds of defense startups and worked closely with both European innovation programs and Ukrainian forces on the frontline. In this conversation, we go deep into why brilliant technology often dies in the gap between the lab and the battlefield. Krists breaks down the massive mismatch between how civilian founders think and how military end-users actually operate. What You’ll Discover: - The single biggest reason most defense tech startups never get traction - How military buyers really think — long time horizons, risk, credibility, and why they still use 70s-80s era equipment - Why Ukraine has become the ultimate testing ground for modern warfare technology - Practical ways for founders to understand real Concept of Operations (CONOPS) and speak the military’s language - The brutal economics of defense tech: long sales cycles, iteration speed, capital requirements, and survivability - What’s coming next after drones — human-machine teaming, mass manufacturing, and the future battlefield - How to actually get access to real end-users in Europe and Ukraine If you’re building anything in defense, dual-use, deep tech, or government-adjacent spaces this episode is for you

Your drinking water is not as safe as you think w. Gregor Zupin

In this episode, Rasmus sits down with Gregor Zupin, founder of Microbium, to explore how modern militaries can solve one of their most persistent and dangerous challenges: ensuring access to safe drinking water during operations. When military units move into new areas, water sources — whether streams, springs, or building pipelines — are often contaminated with bacteria like E. coli or Legionella. These pathogens can’t be detected by smell, taste, or appearance, yet they can cause outbreaks that sideline soldiers within just 1–5 days. Gregor explains why the traditional lab-based testing process is too slow and impractical for fast-moving or forward-deployed forces: samples must be collected, shipped to external labs, cultured for days, and results communicated back — all while units are on the move. Microbium’s innovative MPN Analyzer changes this. It’s a compact, battery-powered “lab-in-a-box” that delivers lab-accurate results for total coliforms and E. coli in as little as 8 hours. No microbiologist required — any soldier can perform the test on-site. Gregor shares real-world insights from field trials with the NATO Center of Excellence for Mountain Warfare in the Alps, where scouts tested 60 water sources ahead of unit movement. Shockingly, several sources failed military and national safety standards, highlighting how common the risk truly is. The conversation also covers valuable feedback from the defense sector, upcoming product improvements (ruggedization, temperature control, and potential integrated disinfection), and how Microbium’s technology could extend beyond water testing to other microbiological challenges in the field. If you’re interested in defense innovation, force protection, or practical solutions for operational readiness, this episode is a must-listen. Key Topics: * The hidden dangers of water contamination in military operations * Why traditional lab testing fails in dynamic environments * How the MPN Analyzer enables rapid, on-site water quality testing * Real results from NATO mountain warfare trials * Future applications in disinfection and soldier health Check out Microbium and their groundbreaking work in making water testing fast, accurate, and field-ready. Gregor Zupin Experienced Chief Executive Officer with a demonstrated history of working in the field of industrial microbiology and sales. Skilled in Laboratory Devices, Entrepreneurship, Quality Assurance, Molecular Biology. Strong business development professional graduated from COTRUGLI Business School. https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregorzupin/

The path to sell in defence (and get invested along the way) w. Khanjan Desai

In this episode, Rasmus sits down with Kanjan Desai, CEO and co-founder of Alchemy, a Canadian nanotechnology company revolutionizing thermal camouflage for modern warfare. Khanjan explains the limitations of today's legacy thermal camouflage—shiny metallized fabrics that are unbreathable, cause "bleed-through" as they heat up, and create unnatural reflections easily spotted by drones and sensors. Alchemy's breakthrough Crypsis Class nanoparticle platform embeds into textiles, paints, and films to reflect body heat while diffusely scattering environmental reflections—making soldiers, weapons, and vehicles blend seamlessly into their surroundings like a "really shitty mirror" that looks just like a rock or the ground. The conversation dives into: * How nanotechnology enables breathable, scalable thermal signature management without the sauna-like discomfort of traditional solutions. * Real-world battlefield challenges in sensor-saturated environments (as seen in Ukraine). * Applications for uniforms, ghillie suits, sniper gear, vehicles, and more—improving stealth, first-strike capability, and mission survivability. * The shift toward hyperspectral imaging and autonomous targeting, and why Alchemy is engineering signatures for the future, not just today's thermal cameras. Khanjan also shares candid insights on scaling a defense tech startup: navigating opaque procurement processes, prioritizing markets (starting with Canada and eastern flank NATO allies), the power of networks and advisors, lessons from the NATO DIANA accelerator, and why focus beats trying to "win everywhere" when opportunities flood in. From early struggles in automotive nanocoatings to securing major defense contracts and a $6M raise, this is a raw look at building dual-use deep tech in a high-stakes sector. Guest: Khanjan Desai – CEO & Co-Founder, Alchemy https://www.linkedin.com/in/khanjandesai/ Alchemy: alchemynano.com [https://www.alchemynano.com] (or link your site)