The Drone Ultimatum

Kirsten Bartok Touw is the co-founder and Managing Partner of New Vista Capital, a venture firm focused exclusively on aerospace, space, and defense. In this episode, Kirsten joins to talk about investing in dual-use tech, startup momentum, and how capital is becoming a competitive moat in defense. We discuss what founders get wrong about working with the DOD, the talent shift from Silicon Valley...

Austin Gray, co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Blue Water Autonomy, joins the podcast to break down the future of autonomous naval warfare. From unmanned ships that carry large payloads to the technical and political challenges of defense procurement, Austin offers an insider’s view of building in one of the most complex arenas in defense tech. He shares stories from his Navy intelligence d...

Paul Lwin is the co-founder and CEO of HavocAI, a defense startup building collaborative autonomous surface vessels. In this episode, Paul breaks down the company’s tech stack, their strategic approach to naval warfare, and how Havoc’s 14-foot robotic boats might reshape the future of the Pacific fight. We dive into dual-use applications, investor narratives, defense procurement challenges, and th...

General James Rainey leads the U.S. Army’s effort to prepare for the next war. As the Commanding General of Army Futures Command, he’s focused on adapting to a battlefield shaped by drones, autonomy, and AI. In this conversation, he breaks down how drone warfare in Ukraine is reshaping military thinking, why adaptability—not prediction—is the key to readiness, and how the Army is transforming its...

Miles Arnone, CEO of Re:Build Manufacturing, joins the podcast to explain why American manufacturing fell behind—and how to bring it back. We dive into defense supply chains, national security vulnerabilities, rare earth magnets, and why the U.S. can’t rely on overseas factories forever. Miles shares Re:Build’s long-term plan to re-industrialize the country by acquiring and integrating specialized...

David Ruth, Dean of STEM at the University of Austin and retired Navy captain, joins the show to discuss the future of technical education, the ethics of AI in warfare, and what it takes to build a new university from scratch. From nuclear submarines to autonomous drone targeting, this conversation spans practical experience and deep philosophical questions. Dave explains how UATX is rethinking cu...

Modern Intelligence Founder and CEO John Dulin joins us in-studio for a wide-ranging conversation on the future of autonomous warfare. We break down the latest Ukrainian drone strike and what it signals about the next era of defense tech—where software, not hardware, defines lethality. From AI-powered targeting to modular DoD acquisitions, this episode dives deep into the strategic, technical, and...

Mike Monnik, CEO of DroneSec, breaks down the global drone war that’s unfolding in real time. From prison drops to battlefield swarms, Monnik reveals how DroneSec tracks drone threats across the world and delivers that intelligence to military and government clients—putting raw, open-source drone warfare data into actionable hands. DroneSec: https://dronesec.com/ Mike Monnik: https://www.linkedin....

Venture capitalist and Anomaly Fund founder Patrick Blumenthal joins the pod to talk frontier tech, reindustrialization, and the future of defense. (0:00) - Intro (0:52) - Defense Spending and Threats from China (2:18) - Patrick Blumenthal and the Anomaly Fund (4:21) - Defense-Focused Venture Investing (10:24) - Pulsar L and Counter-Drone Innovation (13:01) - Fiber-Optic Drone Tactics on the Front...

Government contracting, but with zero fluff. In this episode, we sit down with Travis James—former Army contracting officer and now Head of Contracts at Fortera—for a brutally practical breakdown of how to actually win defense contracts. From underused authorities like 10 USC 4023 to what really happens behind the scenes with sole source justifications, Travis gives founders the roadmap most never...

What does it feel like to be under fire? How are drones changing warfare? And why does modern military tech so often miss the mark? In this episode, special operations veterans Chris “Gus” Jennings (5th Special Forces Group) and Mike “Rod” Rodriguez (Marine Raider) join us for a raw, unfiltered conversation about battle, culture, and the evolution of combat. We talk about their first experiences g...

Most VC-backed defense startups stall, pivot, and eventually die. John Ferry has a few ideas why. As President of Trenchant Analytics and a deeply connected defense insider, Ferry pulls back the curtain on what’s really going on in GovCon. We talk pivot traps, why most military customers aren’t actually looking for innovation, and why founders need to get real about the slow, messy path to contrac...

What if satellite imaging could go beyond RGB and actually see the molecular makeup of our planet? In this episode, the former NASA engineer turned co-founder and CEO breaks down how his startup, Matter Intelligence, is creating a new class of earth observation sensors that go beyond RGB to capture the molecular makeup of the planet. We talk about hyperspectral imaging, how Matter’s satellites wor...

Luke Fischer is the Co-Founder and CEO of SkyFi, an industry-leading Earth Observation marketplace company headquartered in Austin, Texas. Before co-founding SkyFi, Luke was an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Shield Capital, focusing on investing in Space, Autonomy, AI, and Cyber. Prior to joining Shield Capital, he led Government Operations at Joby Aviation, and prior to Joby was Head of Flight Oper...

A proven serial entrepreneur and early defense tech investor, Jackson Moses currently serves as the Founder and Managing Partner of Silent Ventures, an early stage venture firm that invests in exceptional founders building unrivaled aerospace, defense, and national security startups. He also founded and manages Silent Capital, a private syndicate that provides its members exclusive access to leadi...

Michael LaFramboise is the co-founder and CEO of Aurelius Systems, a defense technology startup building the next generation of autonomous counter-UAS. Their premier product, the Archimedes Laser Sentinel, combines high-powered directed energy with edge-deployed advanced control for unparalleled point-defense capabilities. TOPICS (0:00) Intro (1:06) Our First Laser Guest (2:29) BlueHalo’s Locust (...

Simone Ledeen has served in various U.S. Government and business leadership positions, most recently as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Middle East Policy. Her prior US Government work, including on multiple overseas deployments, influenced key counterterrorism activities, intelligence collection and analysis, as well as military information support operations involving cyber and dis...

Follow the show and subscribe for more! Chapters / Topics: Intro Epirus Fundraising Announcement Dual Use vs. Military-Use Only R&D and Procurement How to get the Military to Buy Your Stuff Defense Investor Perspective on Current Trends Tips for Fundraising in Defense Tech Incubation & Cap Tables Humanoid Robots Presentation and Collaboration Audience Questions--Naweed Tahmas served as the...

Is China the new global superpower? April Herlevi, a senior research scientist at CNA and non-resident fellow at the National Bureau of Asian Research, joins us to break down China’s economic statecraft, military expansion, and defense tech strategy. We discuss China’s growing arms exports, the role of drones in modern warfare, Taiwan’s response to military threats, and how China’s global reach ex...

Bryan Clark is a senior fellow and director of the Center for Defense Concepts and Technology at Hudson Institute. He is an expert in naval operations, electronic warfare, autonomous systems, military competitions, and wargaming. TOPICS (0:00) Intro (1:00) Bryan's Background & Hudson Institute (4:21) Saronic & USVs Breakdown (15:05) Impacts of Drones in Ukraine War (18:21) Carrier Strike G...

Dr. Casey Perley joins the show to talk about the Army Applications Lab, innovation in defense, and how startups can work with the Army.👉 Watch one of our favorite episodes: https://youtu.be/fA8x9eGvaFk?si=bpFeYTM3Gz1Z12m2(00:00) Intro (01:02) Meet Dr. Casey Pearly & Army Applications Lab (02:13) How the Army Works with Startups & Non-Traditional Companies (03:36) The Army’s Definition of...

Nic Adams joins the show to talk defense, Capitol Hill, drones, and preparing for future conflicts. (0:00) Intro (1:20) Nic's background - Army Intel, JSOC, Capitol Hill (5:37) The NDAA (9:28) Getting $$ for Defense Tech (12:19) Steve's favorite brand, Alo *not sponsored* (13:50) NDAA and Approps (21:40) Leaving the Hill (23:11) Steve is training for the World Championship (26:37) What doe...

What do you think about AI and space warfare? Leave a comment! (0:00) Intro (1:08) Discussing Drone Swarm Threats (2:45) Working for CIA & a Think Tank (Clayton’s Background) (8:20) Space & Future Defense Strategies (12:04) Going to Mars Debate (15:43) Integrated Air Defense Systems (IADS) (18:28) Space: The Future Battlefield? (23:00) Growing Commercial Space Industry & Defense Applic...

Rob Thompson discusses aviation, drones, regulations, and his family legacy. Rob is one of the world’s foremost authorities on the subjects of aviation and unmanned aircraft systems for aircraft design, certification, regulation, policy and innovative flight training. He is the founder of the CUAS Coalition, an education and advocacy organization focused on the regulation and development of C-UAS...

Gabe joins the show and talks space, satellites, defense tech, investing, and running companies. (0:00) Intro (0:55) How Umbra Started (3:52) Gabe Before Umbra (6:28) Having a "Real Job" Before Startups (8:05) Drones over California (9:19) Investing in Firehawk Aerospace (13:24) Acquisitions in Defense (20:08) Investing and Getting Funded (23:41) Having No Money in Tech = Advantage? (27:...