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 Datashapes AI
Founded with technology developed at Stanford, Datashapes brings a unique approach to electronic warfare and signals intelligence. Their platform processes spectrum data at the tactical edge, enabling operators to make real-time decisions. With 21 patents and deployments spanning special operations to commercial venues, they're proving that signal processing innovation can serve both battlefield and civilian use cases. Rather than organizing by service branch, they've taken a unique domain-first approach that's enabling adoption across space, maritime, and land domains simultaneously.
For more on Data Shapes: datashapesai.com
About Strike Solutions
Founded two years ago in Nevada, Strike Solutions is seeking to make sense of the IoT data explosion. Their flagship product, Thunderdome, is a multi-modular sensor fusion platform that processes spectrum data at the tactical edge. By correlating signals with video feeds for facial and license plate recognition, Thunderdome provides crucial situational awareness for operators.
Strike also recently launched Prism, a packet capture solution that helps customers identify compromises in their tech stacks. Both products demonstrate Strike's ability to rapidly develop and deploy capabilities that solve immediate operational needs.
For more:
On Strike Solutions: strikesolutions.io
On Emma: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmaprz/
On Chris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-%E2%80%9Cpacman%E2%80%9D-spach-4ab077111/
About the Garrett and Dave
In 2019, Marine reconnaissance veteran Garrett Smith looked at tactical operators' challenges and saw something most others missed. While the industry chased large, networked systems, Smith recognized a fundamental gap: warfighters at the tactical edge lacked the software tools to make sense of their growing data streams. As a former Reconnaissance, Intelligence, and Infantry Officer, a graduate of Stanford University's Ford Dorsey Program in International Policy Studies, and a former head of business development at Kespry, Garrett had the perspective, network, and know-how to do something about it.
He’s joined on this episode by Dave Caudle, Reveal’s VP of Defense and Security, and an Army infantry veteran in his own right.
Notably, both Garrett and Dave continue to serve in reserve units, maintaining direct connection with their user base. Their technical leadership includes a number of additional Silicon Valley operators who bring deep technical expertise to these defense challenges.
For more on Reveal: https://www.revealtech.ai/
For more on Garrett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wgarrettsmith/
For more on Dave: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-caudle-10223270/
For more Crossing the Valley: www.valleycrossers.com
About Bazze
Founded in 2019, Bazze is an intelligence platform designed to transform how the defense and intelligence community accesses and utilizes commercial data. The company's platform enables users to know everything about a person, place, or thing using exclusively commercial data sources. Users of Bazze technology can quickly identify potential security risks and gather comprehensive intelligence using publicly available information.
For more on Bazze, or if you’re interested in checking out their products, head over to bazze.io
For more on Sammy, you can follow him on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/semwangu/
This summer, Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET) at Georgetown published the paper Building the Tech Coalition: How Project Maven and the U.S. 18th Airborne Corps Operationalized Software and Artificial Intelligence for the Department of Defense (check it out here).
Today’s episode dives deep into the case, highlighting a crucial illustration of successful defense innovation.
About Chris
Christopher Kirchhoff has been a key figure in many major developments in defense and national security over the past decade. He served as Obama's director for strategic planning at the National Security Council, was a senior civilian aide to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and authored influential reports on America's war in Iraq, the space shuttle Columbia disaster, and the Ebola response. Crucially, along with Raj Shah, Kirchhoff helped establish the Defense Innovation Unit Experimental (DIUx), which has become a vital piece in bringing modern technology into the mission of national defense.
Darkhive, founded in the fall of 2021, aims to address the critical gap in the defense community by building affordable, high-performance tactical drones that are designed with the end-user in mind. The company places a strong emphasis on open, discoverable systems that can be easily integrated with existing infrastructure, ensuring that their products remain useful and adaptable over time. Darkhive has secured multiple government contracts, including a Phase III award from Autonomy Prime, and has received widespread support from various branches of the military, including the Air Force, Space Force, Army, Marine Corps, and Navy.
In this episode of "Crossing the Valley," we are joined by Ian Kalin, CEO and founder of Turbine One, to discuss the challenges and opportunities in bringing innovative technology to the defense sector.
Key topics covered:
- Ian's diverse background from Navy counterterrorism officer to tech entrepreneur
- The mission of Turbine One and its focus on edge AI for warfighter safety
- Navigating the complex landscape of defense contracting and acquisitions
- The importance of exercises and field testing in product development
- Overcoming obstacles in the "frozen middle" of defense procurement
- The key elements needed for success in defense tech startups
Ian shares candid insights on the realities of building a defense tech company, including dealing with industry incumbents, protecting intellectual property, and aligning with warfighter needs. This episode offers valuable lessons for entrepreneurs and innovators looking to make an impact in the defense and national security space.
David Brown, CEO of CounterCraft, joins Noah to discuss the company's journey in the digital security industry. David covers the company's foray into the American market, its partnership strategies, and plans for future growth.
Timestamps:
00:00-00:45: The Evolution of Deception in Warfare and IT
03:04-03:26: Spanish Cybersecurity Startup's Unique Approach
04:37-06:10: Countercraft's Deception Platform
09:16-12:43: Early Days: From Commercial to Government
13:39-16:52: Scaling through Partnerships
29:06-31:38: Democratizing Deception Technology
35:33-36:12: What's Next for Counter Craft
36:31-37:43: Advice for Startup Founders
For more visit: https://www.countercraftsec.com/
About Our Guests:
Ben Kohlmann is a retired F-18 pilot, former consultant, founder, and current investor at Cubit Capital. Ben has touched it all, and has a well-rounded, thoughtful, and purpose-driven perspective on defense investing.
Dan Magy is a repeat defense founder and the co-founder and CEO of Firestorm Labs. Dan's experience includes starting a counter-UAS company and working closely with special operations forces, giving him deep insight into the defense innovation landscape. He’s also prolific on LinkedIn, where his near-daily drone videos are wildly popular with the defense community and beyond.
Timestamps:
00:39-01:40: Introduction to Modular, Attritable Systems in Defense Tech
01:56-06:41: The Emergence of Drone Swarms in Modern Warfare
07:06-08:47: Asymmetric Warfare Advantage: Countering High-Tech with Low-Cost Solutions
09:08-10:53: Challenges in Adapting US Military Innovation and Procurement for Modern Conflicts
11:40-13:48: US Missed Opportunity to Innovate and Learn in Ukraine Conflict
13:48-14:46: The Importance of Real-World Testing and Rapid Innovation in Military Technology Development
16:30-17:58: Leveraging Battlefield Experience for Innovation
18:20-19:33: Navigating the Government Procurement Process for Startups
19:34-23:09: The Importance of Lobbying and Customer Discovery for Defense Startups"
23:47-24:58: Finding the Right Customer
26:01-30:58: The Keys to Successful Defense Tech Startups: Relationships, Go-to-Market Strategy, and Building Credibility
31:13-34:34: Navigating the DOD Innovation Ecosystem
36:02-36:25: DIU's Evolution
36:59-38:11: Firestorm's Progress and Future Milestones
38:12-39:15: Effective Storytelling for Congress in Defense Appropriations
42:32-45:51: Finding Alignment and Purpose in Your Role
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