Stay ConnectedFew companies make it from pilot to production in the defense market. Those who do often change the industry in the process.
How do they do it? What lessons can startups take from their trials, successes, and failures? Crossing the Valley tells the stories of the trailblazers who are forging a new path for America’s defense.
Copyright: © Noah Sheinbaum
About Phillip
Phillip Buckendorf is the co-founder and CEO of Air Space Intelligence, bringing a unique perspective shaped by his education in political science and international relations in Germany. Frustrated by what he describes as Europe’s "degrowth mindset,” Phillip moved to the United States in his early 20s, seeking out the hotbed of innovation and technological progress.
About Air Space Intelligence
Founded after extensive research into air operations centers across commercial airlines, government agencies, and maritime organizations, ASI develops predictive software that transforms how logistics planning occurs in both commercial and defense contexts. The company's core innovation is shifting from static displays showing current conditions to dynamic simulations that predict how operational environments will change over time.
For more on Air Space Intelligence: https://www.airspace-intelligence.com/
For the Air Space Manifesto: https://www.airspace-intelligence.com/thesis
For more on Phillip: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phillipbuckendorf/
For more Crossing the Valley: LinkedIn | X
As Apex Space commemorates one year on orbit for its Aries satellite, CEO and co-founder Ian Cinnamon joins us to talk about all things space.
A serial entrepreneur, Ian's journey began right after college when he worked as a technology advisor to Mark Pincus at Zynga, later starting a gaming company that was acquired by Zynga. He went on to found Synapse Technology (acquired by Palantir), invest at Village Global, and then co-found Apex Space with Max Benassi, a veteran of SpaceX who had worked on both the Falcon 9 and Starlink programs.
Founded in 2022, Apex Space is the world's first manufacturer of productized, configurable satellite bus platforms. Unlike traditional aerospace companies that custom-build each satellite bus for specific missions, Apex has standardized the design and manufacturing process to create what is essentially an off-the-shelf product.
For more on Ian: @IanCinnamon on X, LinkedIn
For more on Apex: @ApexSpacecraft on X, LinkedIn
For more Crossing the Valley: @NSheinbaum on X, LinkedIn
About Peter
Peter is the Chief Product Officer of Maxar Intelligence, bringing his passion for maps and 12 years at Palantir Technologies to this renaissance story. At Palantir, Peter developed the famed “ontology” and mapping technologies, helping transition the company's defense business from intelligence operations to real-time operational support. His background in theoretical chemistry gives him a distinctive lens through which he approaches the relationship between models and reality—a tension at the heart of both cartography and defense technology.
About Maxar Intelligence
Maxar Intelligence began as DigitalGlobe, a pioneering Earth observation company. In 2017, Digital Globe was acquired by MDA, which was renamed Maxar. The company underwent significant transformations—being sold in 2019, taken private in 2022, and split into two business units (Maxar Intelligence and Maxar Space) in 2023.
Maxar's bread and butter is high-resolution satellite imagery, specifically 30-centimeter class resolution data. This exquisite imagery serves as a foundation for more sophisticated data products. The company's Legion satellites represent their newest generation of sensing technology.
But beyond imagery collection, Maxar has invested heavily in creating deep integrations with classified government systems—expertise they're now leveraging to create partnership frameworks for smaller, newer space companies. For example, their Direct Access Program allows international customers to install radio antennas and directly task satellites locally, embodying the shift from centralized to distributed space architecture.
For more about Maxar: https://www.maxar.com
For more on Peter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterwilczynski/
For more Crossing the Valley: www.valleycrossers.com
About Josh
Josh Lospinoso isn’t your average hacker. Most hackers aren’t Rhodes Scholars. As a kid growing up in New Jersey during 9/11, Josh was drawn to service - but he had no idea he’d soon be hacking military weapon systems. As an Army Cyber Officer, he discovered critical vulnerabilities in mission essential platforms that revealed a sobering reality: these sophisticated weapons systems (flying computers!) were dangerously vulnerable to cyber threats. So after spending years building cyber tools at the National Security Agency, he founded (and exited) his first startup, a cybersecurity outfit called Red Owl Analytics. And then, he dove into an even bigger challenge, head-on. His background - Rhodes Scholar, PhD in Statistics, veteran - gave him unique credibility with both the defense establishment and the venture community. And today, he’s at the forefront of one of the most important missions: securing our operational technology systems.
For more Crossing the Valley: www.valleycrossers.com
For more on Shift5: https://shift5.io/
Follow Josh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jalospinoso/
Follow Noah: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noahsheinbaum/
About Our Guests
When Thomas "T-Rob" Robinson joined Domino Data Lab eight and a half years ago, the company was focused on helping pharmaceutical companies and financial institutions build better AI models. With a background in math, computer science, and enterprise finance technology, he understood that the hardest problems in AI weren't about algorithms - they were about enabling domain experts to build trustworthy systems at scale. Meanwhile, Joel Meyer was at the Department of Homeland Security, leading their first AI task force and grappling with fundamental questions about how government could effectively adopt AI technology. Joel, like a number of government-to-startup guests before him, recognized a vendor that held the potential to address the very problems he was working from the inside. Today, T-Rob and Joel are working toward the shared vision of bringing enterprise-grade MLOps to critical national security missions.
For more about Domino: domino.ai
For more about T-Rob: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomassrobinson/
For more about Joel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeltmeyer/
Today’s guest is Shannon Clark, a long-tenured early team member of Palantir, the world’s most valuable defense company, and last year’s best performing stock in the S&P 500 (up 340%!).
Often discussed but rarely understood, Palantir has emerged as a defining company in defense technology. With just 4,000 employees, they've built a business that surpasses traditional defense primes in market value. Their secret? A ruthless focus on hiring exceptional people, maintaining a flat organization, and putting engineers directly in the field with users. The company's forward-deployed engineer model has become the gold standard for defense tech startups, while their success with Project Maven has shown how commercial AI capabilities can be effectively deployed for national security.
For more about Palantir: palantir.com
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About Varda
Founded in November 2020, Varda Space is revolutionizing manufacturing by taking it off-planet. Their thesis is remarkably straightforward: microgravity enables the creation of materials impossible to make on Earth, and pharmaceuticals—the most expensive chemicals per kilogram—are the perfect starting point. In less than three years, they've designed, built, and landed the world's first commercial space factory. They're one of only three companies globally with commercial reentry vehicles, alongside SpaceX and Boeing. The difference? Varda's capsule, unburdened by human rating requirements, can do it cheaper and more frequently than anyone else.
About Overwatch Imaging
Founded in Hood River, Oregon, Overwatch Imaging is changing how the industry processes aerial sensor data through automation. Rather than building another drone company, they're creating technology that makes every aerial platform smarter. Their automated sensor operator software tackles a critical challenge: helping small teams process massive amounts of aerial data efficiently. The company, now 30 people strong, has evolved from supporting emergency response to providing crucial capabilities across defense and commercial applications. They're proving that you don't need to be in a traditional tech hub to build world-changing technology.
For more about Overwatch: https://www.overwatchimaging.com/
For more Crossing the Valley: LinkedIn | X | YouTube
Follow Greg: LinkedIn
About Forterra
Formerly known as RRAI, Forterra is revolutionizing ground autonomy for both defense and commercial applications. Their mission is simple but ambitious: get humans out of harm's way. While many startups chase flashy features, Forterra focuses on building autonomous systems that work "nearly every time" in the most demanding environments. Their approach is working: they've secured major programs like Rogue Fires with Oshkosh, where they're helping the Marine Corps project force with minimal human footprint. With 265 employees and growing, they're proving that deep tech startups can successfully navigate the complex journey from R&D to production-scale deployment.
For more about Forterra: forterra.com
For more about Scott Sanders: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottbsanders/
For more Crossing the Valley: YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Kyle Olson's path to defense tech started in a firefight. As a Marine Raider Team Commander in Iraq in 2020, he found himself coordinating airstrikes with a broken military radio. The solution? A forbidden Iraqi cell phone and Signal messaging app. That moment crystallized something he'd long suspected: commercial technology had outpaced military equipment in many areas. Instead of heading to business school as planned, Kyle joined Fairwater Labs, where he's now COO, helping build the next generation of defense tech companies.
Spun out of a major Bay Area VC firm, Fairwater Labs is productizing the defense innovation process. Unlike traditional venture studios that retain majority ownership, Fairwater gives founders control while providing deep operational support. They've developed a systematic approach to identifying market opportunities, matching them with the right founders, and supporting early growth. The model is working: their first company achieved a successful exit within 36 months, and they're on track to launch four new companies in 2024.
For more on Fairwater: fairwaterlabs.com
For more about Kyle: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-o/
For more Crossing the Valley: https://youtube.com/@crossingthevalley
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