The Drone Ultimatum
- Folgen
- 104
- Erscheint
- wöchentlich
- Letzte Folge
- 12. Nov. 2026
Über den Podcast
The preeminent podcast for all things drones, defense tech, defense policy, and modern warfare. Featured guests include industry leaders, policy experts, military warfighters, business titans, and many more. Hosted by Steve Simoni, co-founder and President of Allen Control Systems.
Folgen 104
The Race to Build America’s Drone Industrial Base | Craig Anders, AEVEX
Craig Anders is the Senior Vice President of Growth at AEVEX.Craig on LinkedInAEVEX (NYSE: AVEX)Request an invitation to The Drone Ultimatum Summit 2026 at the link here! Follow the show!Spotify …
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Craig Anders is the Senior Vice President of Growth at AEVEX.
AEVEX (NYSE: AVEX)
Request an invitation to The Drone Ultimatum Summit 2026 at the link here!
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Craig Anders, Senior Vice President of Growth at AEVEX Aerospace, joins Steve to discuss the rapidly expanding market for military drones, the challenges of scaling American defense manufacturing, and what the war in Ukraine has taught the United States about modern warfare.
A retired Air Force colonel with 25 years of service, Craig previously served in Big Safari, the Air Force’s rapid acquisition organization. He recounts how a late-night request from the State Department led to a $20 million contract executed in just nine hours, followed by his deployment to train Ukrainian forces on long-range attack drones. That experience helped inform AEVEX’s expansion from a services business into a major manufacturer of unmanned systems.
The conversation explores the economics of drone production, including why government procurement timelines don’t align with manufacturing realities, why the U.S. needs commercial manufacturing expertise, and why scaling production requires sustained demand rather than promises of future orders. Craig also explains AEVEX’s approach to expanding through acquisitions, including its investment in additive manufacturing, autonomy, and maritime systems.
Steve and Craig also discuss the changing nature of naval warfare, the potential for unmanned surface vessels to transform military logistics, and the vulnerability of traditional military platforms to increasingly affordable autonomous weapons. They examine the role of human pilots in future air combat, the development of collaborative combat aircraft, and the growing importance of integrating unmanned systems across different domains.
Finally, Craig shares his perspective on defense acquisition reform, the differences between venture-backed defense startups and established manufacturers, and why the next generation of defense companies must deliver complete operational capabilities rather than simply selling hardware.
How the FCC Is Shaping the Future of American Drones | Adam Chan
Adam Chan is the Senior National Security Counsel at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).Request an invitation to The Drone Ultimatum Summit 2026 at the link here! Follow the show!Spotify …
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Adam Chan is the Senior National Security Counsel at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
Request an invitation to The Drone Ultimatum Summit 2026 at the link here!
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The Federal Communications Commission plays a much larger role in American national security than most people realize.
From regulating the radio spectrum used by drones to restricting foreign-made equipment, the FCC has become an increasingly important player in the U.S. drone industry.
Adam Chan, Senior National Security Counsel at the FCC, joins Steve to discuss how the agency is approaching drone security, counter-UAS regulations, and the effort to strengthen American drone manufacturing.
Working directly with FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, Adam oversees the agency’s national security portfolio and helps coordinate regulatory actions affecting communications technology.
The conversation covers the FCC’s restrictions on foreign-made drones, including DJI, and the reasoning behind limiting new equipment authorizations for certain foreign-produced systems.
Adam explains why he believes these restrictions will create opportunities for American manufacturers and help prevent the United States from becoming dependent on foreign suppliers for critical technologies.
Steve and Adam also discuss the legal restrictions surrounding drone jamming in the United States, how the FCC is expanding opportunities for counter-UAS testing, and the circumstances under which state and local law enforcement agencies can employ electronic countermeasures.
For defense startups, Adam explains the differences between developing drones for military customers and selling systems into commercial or law enforcement markets.
The discussion also explores the FCC’s approach to foreign-made robotics, enforcement actions against companies attempting to circumvent equipment restrictions, and the importance of maintaining bipartisan support for national security regulations.
Adam offers an inside perspective on how a relatively small federal agency is making decisions with significant implications for the future of American defense technology.
Distributed Radar, AI, and the Future of Counter-UAS | Matthew Kling, MatrixSpace
Matt Kling is the Vice President and General Manager of AI Systems at MatrixSpace, a company developing compact, low-cost radar systems for counter-drone defense, airspace monitoring, and autonomous …
Shownotes
Matt Kling is the Vice President and General Manager of AI Systems at MatrixSpace, a company developing compact, low-cost radar systems for counter-drone defense, airspace monitoring, and autonomous operations.
Matt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewkling/
MatrixSpace: https://www.matrixspace.com/Follow the show!
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In this episode of The Drone Ultimatum, Matt joins Steve to discuss how MatrixSpace is approaching one of the most important challenges in modern air defense: detecting increasingly capable drones without relying on expensive, centralized radar infrastructure.
They explore the company’s origins, its development of a one-pound radar, and its early deployment supporting autonomous police drone operations in Palm Springs, California.
The conversation examines how drone warfare is changing the economics of air defense. As inexpensive drones threaten military installations and high-value equipment, Matt explains why scalable, distributed sensing networks are becoming increasingly important.
They also discuss the growing interceptor market, the challenges of manufacturing defense technology at scale, and MatrixSpace’s work integrating radar with autonomous ground vehicles and counter-UAS systems, including Allen Control Systems’ Bullfrog.
Matt also shares his perspective on AI-powered sensor fusion, processing information at the edge, and the limitations of traditional centralized command-and-control architectures. Drawing on his experience at Raytheon, Northeastern University’s drone research lab, and MatrixSpace, he discusses the transition from large defense programs to a venture-backed technology company.
The episode closes with a broader discussion of the future of drone warfare, GPS-denied threats, mobile military operations, and the challenge of defending increasingly vulnerable forward operating bases.
The Business of Drone Autonomy: Hardware, Defense, and AI | Stefan Hrabar, Emesent
What happens when a drone needs to navigate underground, inside a building, or in an environment where GPS is unavailable?Dr. Stefan Hrabar is the Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Emesent, an Australian …
Shownotes
What happens when a drone needs to navigate underground, inside a building, or in an environment where GPS is unavailable?
Dr. Stefan Hrabar is the Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Emesent, an Australian robotics company developing autonomous navigation and 3D mapping technology. After completing his PhD in robotics at USC, Stefan spent a decade researching drone autonomy at Australia’s CSIRO before co-founding Emesent in 2018.
Stefan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefanhrabar/Emesent: https://www.emesent.com/
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In this episode of The Drone Ultimatum, Stefan joins Steve to discuss how Emesent developed Hovermap, a LiDAR-based system that enables drones and ground robots to navigate and map complex environments without GPS.
Originally developed for underground mining, the technology has expanded into defense applications, including subterranean reconnaissance, building mapping, and battlefield damage assessment.
They also discuss the challenges of building and scaling a hardware company, from raising venture capital and managing manufacturing costs to protecting intellectual property.
Stefan explains why Emesent relies heavily on trade secrets rather than patents, how investor attitudes toward hardware have changed, and what it takes to adapt commercial technology for military customers.
The conversation also covers defense supply chains, NDAA compliance, international distribution, and the growing role of AI in robotics and software development.
From converting gas-powered helicopters into autonomous drones in the early 2000s to building a global robotics company, Stefan shares his experience bringing advanced autonomy research into real-world applications.
Building Low-Cost Missiles to Defeat Drones | Malin & LeGrand Crewse, Corvus Industries
Malin Crewse and LeGrand Crewse are brothers and co-founders of Corvus Industries, where LeGrand serves as CEO and Malin as CTO. Corvus is developing small, low-cost kinetic interceptors designed to counter …
Shownotes
Malin Crewse and LeGrand Crewse are brothers and co-founders of Corvus Industries, where LeGrand serves as CEO and Malin as CTO.
Corvus is developing small, low-cost kinetic interceptors designed to counter drones at ranges where electronic warfare and existing missile systems can fall short.
Corvus Industries: https://corvusind.com/
Malin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/malin-crewse-268642ba/
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The conversation covers Corvus’ counter-UAS interceptor, why fiber-optic drones are creating new demand for kinetic defenses, the importance of affordable mass, America’s interceptor stockpile problem, missile manufacturing, seeker technology, solid rocket motors, and the challenge of building systems capable of defeating maneuvering targets.
They also discuss what it’s like building a company as brothers, splitting founder equity 50/50, cashing out retirement savings to fund the company, learning how government procurement actually works, and why successful defense companies may eventually be pushed toward becoming multi-product businesses.
The $1.1 Billion Plan to Scale Drone Warfare | Derek McBride, Dept. of War Innovation Unit (DIU)
Derek McBride, Portfolio Manager in the Autonomous Warfare portfolio at the Department of War Innovation Unit (DIU), joins the show to discuss how the Pentagon is approaching drones, autonomy, and the defense …
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Derek McBride, Portfolio Manager in the Autonomous Warfare portfolio at the Department of War Innovation Unit (DIU), joins the show to discuss how the Pentagon is approaching drones, autonomy, and the defense industrial base.
Derek on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekmcbride/
DIU Website: https://www.diu.mil/
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They break down DIU’s role in defense acquisition, the $1.1 billion Drone Dominance program, and how challenge-based acquisition is being used to identify systems that work—and can actually be manufactured at scale.
The conversation covers FPV training, resilient drone supply chains, U.S. manufacturing, counter-UAS systems, interceptors, electronic warfare, autonomy, swarms, private capital in defense, and the economics of modern drone warfare.
Orchestrating the Robot Battlefield | Josh Giegel & Ben Richardson, Gambit AI
Josh Giegel is the Founder and CEO of Gambit AI, an autonomous systems software company building technology to coordinate teams of robots. Before founding Gambit, Josh worked at SpaceX on the Merlin 1D engine …
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Josh Giegel is the Founder and CEO of Gambit AI, an autonomous systems software company building technology to coordinate teams of robots.
Before founding Gambit, Josh worked at SpaceX on the Merlin 1D engine and co-founded Hyperloop Technologies, later Virgin Hyperloop.
Ben Richardson, Gambit’s Chief Commercial Officer, brings a military and defense innovation background to the company.
Josh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-giegel/
Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-richardson-92029b5/
Gambit: https://www.gambit.us/
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In this episode of The Drone Ultimatum, Josh and Ben explain why the growing number of autonomous platforms creates a new problem: coordinating them. Rather than building another drone, Gambit is developing the orchestration layer that allows different autonomous systems, payloads, and platforms to work together toward a common objective.
The conversation covers one-to-many control, AI-enabled electronic warfare, autonomous kill-chain workflows, ISR optimization, drone motherships, and the integration of aerial, ground, and maritime autonomous systems.
Josh and Ben also discuss why future battlefields could increasingly become “robot engagement zones” where autonomous systems operate in areas too dangerous for humans.
They also get into the business of building a defense startup: selling pure software to the government, working with traditional primes instead of treating them as competitors, surviving long procurement cycles, managing burn, and turning demonstrations into actual contracts.
Josh also reflects on his path from SpaceX to Virgin Hyperloop to Gambit, what he learned scaling a company to hundreds of employees, and why building a software-focused defense company is a very different proposition from developing capital-intensive hardware.
Reusable Satellites and the Future of Space Infrastructure | Brian Taylor, Lux Aeterna
Brian Taylor is the Founder & CEO of Lux Aeterna, a startup developing the world's first fully reusable satellite for high-tempo, reliable, and flexible timelines in orbit.Brian on LinkedIn …
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Brian Taylor is the Founder & CEO of Lux Aeterna, a startup developing the world's first fully reusable satellite for high-tempo, reliable, and flexible timelines in orbit.
Brian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianjtaylor/
Lux Aeterna: https://www.luxaeterna.com/
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Our website: https://www.thedroneultimatum.com/Brian joins Steve to discuss why falling launch costs are changing the economics of space and why he believes the next step is moving beyond satellites designed around attrition. He explains Lux Aeterna’s approach to operating fleets of reusable spacecraft and how bringing vehicles back creates new possibilities for rapid iteration, payload delivery, hypersonics, and in-space manufacturing.
They also discuss the role SpaceX played in reshaping the space industry, why Brian believes dual-use space companies should often start with defense customers, and how government R&D funding can help early-stage hardware companies establish flight heritage before expanding commercially.
The conversation moves into Brian’s experience as a solo founder, including how he structures his leadership team, hires experienced aerospace engineers, and thinks about fundraising. Brian also explains why raising money is not the same as winning and why founders should focus on investors who genuinely align with their worldview rather than trying to convince everyone.
They close with lessons from hardware development, live demos, failure investigations, and why Lux Aeterna actively looks for engineers who have already experienced the full lifecycle of putting hardware and software into space.
Drone Warfare Is Changing Faster Than Defenses Can Adapt | Mike Monnik, DroneSec
Read the Global Drone Threat Report (2026): https://dronesec.com/resources/d479e340-f78f-11f0-ab58-9fListen to our first podcast with Mike: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2utl1hG9FcMike Monnik, founder and …
Shownotes
Read the Global Drone Threat Report (2026): https://dronesec.com/resources/d479e340-f78f-11f0-ab58-9f
Listen to our first podcast with Mike: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2utl1hG9Fc
Mike Monnik, founder and CEO of DroneSec, joins The Drone Ultimatum to explain what his team is seeing across the global drone threat landscape—from fiber-optic FPVs and jet-powered attack drones to maritime systems, humanoid robots, and drone-enabled gray-zone operations.
DroneSec tracks how militaries, terrorist organizations, cartels, and other actors use drones, along with the tactics and countermeasures developing around them. Mike explains why that intelligence matters when a tactic that works today may look completely different a year from now.
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Why Cyber Warfare Is Becoming Autonomous | Bohdan Volyanyuk
Bohdan Volyanyuk is the co-founder and COO of Autonomous Cyber, a company building autonomous capabilities for offensive cyber operations.Bohdan on LinkedIn …
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Bohdan Volyanyuk is the co-founder and COO of Autonomous Cyber, a company building autonomous capabilities for offensive cyber operations.
Bohdan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bohdanvolyanyuk/
Autonomous Cyber: https://www.acyber.com/
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Bohdan joins the show to explain how AI is changing the cyber kill chain, from discovering vulnerabilities to weaponizing exploits and conducting operations. He argues that cyber should be treated as a persistent domain of conflict rather than something reserved for a small number of exquisite, highly planned operations.
The conversation also covers the similarities between autonomous cyber and autonomous weapons, the offense-defense cycle in cyberspace, Stuxnet, the challenges of selling cyber capabilities to the Department of Defense, startup fundraising, the current tech investment environment, and how cyber operations could shape a future conflict with China.
Bohdan previously served five years in the U.S. Army infantry, including deployments to Iraq and Syria, before attending MIT, where he met his co-founder and started Autonomous Cyber.
Building the Operating System for Drone Swarms | Alex Fink
Alex Fink is the President & US CEO of Swarmer (NASDAQ: SWMR), helping drones fly autonomously, without pilots, and work together in large teams. Alex on LinkedIn …
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Alex Fink is the President & US CEO of Swarmer (NASDAQ: SWMR), helping drones fly autonomously, without pilots, and work together in large teams.
Alex on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/temuchin43/
Swarmer: https://swarmer.com/
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Alex Fink is the President and U.S. CEO of Swarmer, a defense technology company developing software for autonomous drone operations.
Swarmer grew out of Ukraine’s wartime drone ecosystem after Alex’s co-founder identified a basic scaling problem: militaries could build millions of drones, but they could not produce millions of pilots.Alex explains how Swarmer approaches swarming differently from coordinated or leader-follower drone formations.
Instead of choreographing individual aircraft, Swarmer is building software that allows drones to act as independent decision-makers, communicate with one another, allocate tasks, and continue operating when their connection to an operator is degraded or lost.
The conversation covers the rapid expansion of Ukraine’s drone industry, what autonomy means for electronic warfare, and Swarmer’s bet that military robotics will eventually resemble the early PC industry: many competing hardware manufacturers running a smaller number of common software platforms.
Alex also explains why integrating software across different drones remains difficult and why engineers who understand both hardware and software have become a major constraint.Alex and Steve discuss how Ukraine’s wartime acquisition model differs from traditional Western procurement, why combat units can drive product adoption quickly, and what the U.S. and Europe can learn from that model.
They also get into Swarmer’s decision to go public, the challenges of operating a public defense company, and the potential for consolidation across the growing defense technology ecosystem.The episode closes with lessons from the battlefield itself: why fiber-optic drones may be transitional, why militaries are pulling old weapons back into service to address new threats, and why today’s drone and counter-drone systems are unlikely to represent the final form of either technology.
According to Alex, the industry is still in an active arms race where products can become obsolete faster than traditional defense development cycles can produce them.
Counter-Drone Robotics, Defense Capital, and Building 9 Mothers | Russell Smith
Russell Smith is the co-founder and CEO of 9 Mothers, a startup building autonomous systems for military use.Russell on X: https://x.com/rhs?s=209 Mothers: https://9mothers.com/Follow the show!Steve on X …
Shownotes
Russell Smith is the co-founder and CEO of 9 Mothers, a startup building autonomous systems for military use.
Russell on X: https://x.com/rhs?s=20
9 Mothers: https://9mothers.com/
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Russell Smith is the co-founder and CEO of 9 Mothers, an Austin-based defense technology company building counter-drone systems.
After previously building Rainforest QA and going through Y Combinator, Russell moved from enterprise software into defense hardware as the war in Ukraine demonstrated the growing threat posed by small, inexpensive drones.
Russell explains the thinking behind 9 Mothers’ approach: counter-UAS systems that are small, light, inexpensive, and deployable across a much larger number of vehicles and positions.
The conversation covers the company’s acoustic sensing work, its shotgun-based counter-drone system, development of a belt-fed shotgun, and the challenges of building reliable robotic weapon systems.
The discussion also gets into a problem facing the new generation of defense founders: capital. Russell and Steve discuss why defense startups can appear competitive to venture investors even when the Department of Defense is willing to buy from multiple suppliers, why robotics companies cannot simply copy products overnight, and how much growth capital has already been concentrated in a relatively small group of defense companies.
They also examine what battlefield evidence says about counter-UAS technology. Russell and Steve discuss electronic warfare, interceptors, kinetic systems, drone swarms, and why claimed counter-drone capabilities have to be judged against what is actually happening in Ukraine and other active conflicts.
The episode closes with a broader discussion of defense company building—from founder-led marketing and acquisitions to Austin’s growing defense ecosystem, C2 integration, and why Russell believes much of the economic value in defense ultimately remains with the physical systems the government buys rather than the software connecting them.
Bullfrog, AI & the Next Era of Drone Warfare | Luke Allen & Scott Hutchins, Allen Control Systems
Luke Allen is the co-founder and Chief Technology Officer at Allen Control Systems. Scott Hutchins is the Chief Product Officer at Allen Control Systems.Allen Control Systems …
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Luke Allen is the co-founder and Chief Technology Officer at Allen Control Systems.
Scott Hutchins is the Chief Product Officer at Allen Control Systems.
Allen Control Systems: https://www.allencontrolsystems.com/
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In this episode, Luke Allen, co-founder and CTO of Allen Control Systems, and Chief Product Officer Scott Hutchins join the podcast to break down the story behind Bullfrog, ACS’s approach to counter-drone defense, and why the company deliberately chose a problem that was extraordinarily difficult to solve.
Luke traces the path from the Russian invasion of Ukraine to the founding of Allen Control Systems, including the early experiments and technical problems that ultimately led the team toward autonomous counter-drone systems.
They also get into what it takes to build trust when AI and computer vision are involved in a weapon system, why hardware and robotics companies operate differently from SaaS startups, how ACS thinks about engineering talent and decision-making, and where drone warfare could be heading next.Plus: startup theory, recruiting engineers, the ACS culture, New Orleans company trips, Silicon Valley war stories, Texas, and the possibility of an eventual “ACS Mafia.”
Building The Future of Autonomous Ground Warfare | Nic Adams, Overland AI
Nic Adams is the Director of Government Relations at Overland AI.Nic on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nic-adams208/Overland AI: https://www.overland.ai/Steve on X: https://x.com/StevenSimoniSteve on …
Shownotes
Nic Adams is the Director of Government Relations at Overland AI.
Nic on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nic-adams208/
Overland AI: https://www.overland.ai/
Steve on X: https://x.com/StevenSimoni
Steve on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevensimoni/
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This week on The Drone Ultimatum, Nic Adams, Director of Government Relations at Overland AI, joins us to discuss what it actually takes for a defense startup to move from promising technology to real military programs.
We cover:
- How defense appropriations become actual contracts
- The realities of Pentagon procurement and production
- Autonomous ground vehicles and the future of land warfare
- Why robots will increasingly take on dangerous missions
- Lessons from Ukraine and the changing battlefield
- Building defense companies that can scale
Nic also shares his perspective on Congress, budgeting, acquisition timelines, and what founders often misunderstand about selling into the Department of Defense.
Leaving Big Tech to Build Defense Technology | Omar Javaid
Omar Javaid is the CEO of Rampart Communications, a company that provides resilient wireless communications with physical layer encryption, protecting against cyber and EW threats.Omar on LinkedIn …
Shownotes
Omar Javaid is the CEO of Rampart Communications, a company that provides resilient wireless communications with physical layer encryption, protecting against cyber and EW threats.
Omar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ojavaid/
Rampart Communications: https://rampartcommunications.com/
Steve on X: https://x.com/StevenSimoni
Steve on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevensimoni/
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Omar Javaid is the CEO of Rampart Communications, a company developing advanced wireless communications technologies for defense and national security applications. Before founding Rampart, Omar spent years working on cutting-edge communications technology, including time at Qualcomm, giving him a unique perspective on both commercial innovation and military capability.
In this conversation, Omar explains how wireless communications remain one of the most important—and least appreciated—foundations of modern warfare. The discussion explores the technical and operational challenges facing military communications, electronic warfare, and autonomous systems as conflicts continue to evolve.
Steve and Omar also discuss lessons emerging from Ukraine, the changing nature of electronic attack and countermeasures, the realities of building a defense startup, and why solving difficult communications problems creates long-term strategic advantages.
The conversation expands beyond technology into geopolitics, America’s defense industrial base, alliance dynamics, and the importance of preparing for future conflicts. Throughout the episode, Omar combines deep technical experience with broader strategic thinking, offering insights relevant to founders, operators, investors, and defense professionals alike.
How Vertical Autonomy Is Rethinking Tactical Military Drones | Stephen Ziegenfuss
Stephen Ziegenfuss is the Co-Founder of Vertical Autonomy, a company building next-generation unmanned systems.Stephen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-ziegenfuss-6139546/Vertical Autonomy …
Shownotes
Stephen Ziegenfuss is the Co-Founder of Vertical Autonomy, a company building next-generation unmanned systems.
Stephen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-ziegenfuss-6139546/
Vertical Autonomy: https://www.verticalautonomy.com/
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Stephen Zeigenfuss, Co-Founder of Vertical Autonomy, joins The Drone Ultimatum to discuss what it really takes to build tactical unmanned aircraft.
The conversation explores lessons from decades of UAV development, why operator feedback matters more than perfect engineering, what Ukraine has revealed about modern drone warfare, and how Vertical Autonomy is approaching the next generation of Group 3 aircraft.
Whether you’re interested in defense acquisition, military aviation, or the future of autonomous systems, this episode provides a practical perspective on where tactical drones are headed.
The Race to Stop Drones Is Just Beginning | Brett Velicovich, Powerus
Brett Velicovich is the founder of Powerus and a former intelligence professional who spent years supporting special operations and drone missions before working alongside frontline units in Ukraine. Brett on …
Shownotes
Brett Velicovich is the founder of Powerus and a former intelligence professional who spent years supporting special operations and drone missions before working alongside frontline units in Ukraine.
Brett on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brett-velicovich-86a3651a/
Brett on X: https://x.com/TheDroneWarrior
Powerus: https://www.power.us/
Steve on X: https://x.com/StevenSimoni
Steve on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevensimoni/
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Episode Description
In this conversation, Brett explains why he calls Powerus a “revenge business”—a response to years of watching companies ignore feedback from operators with real-world experience. He discusses how lessons learned in Ukraine directly influenced the company’s approach to building and fielding new capabilities.
The discussion explores the accelerating evolution of drone warfare, counter-drone systems, autonomy, and AI. Brett shares why he believes future conflicts will reward speed, adaptability, and distributed systems over traditional assumptions about military power, while also examining how current conflicts are reshaping defense priorities.
The episode also covers defense acquisitions, scaling a startup in the national security ecosystem, and the importance of staying closely connected to operators in the field.
Throughout the conversation, Brett offers an operator’s perspective on where defense technology is heading and what founders should understand before building for the Department of Defense.
Why the Next Battlefield Is Below Ground | Yadin Soffer, Traysar Industries
Yadin Soffer, co-founder and CEO of Traysar Industries, joins Steve to discuss why the future of warfare may be shifting beneath the surface.Yadin on X: https://x.com/yadinsofferYadin on Linkedin …
Shownotes
Yadin Soffer, co-founder and CEO of Traysar Industries, joins Steve to discuss why the future of warfare may be shifting beneath the surface.
Yadin on X: https://x.com/yadinsoffer
Yadin on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yadinsoffer/
Traysar: https://www.traysar.com/
Steve on X: https://x.com/StevenSimoni
Steve on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevensimoni/
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After building and exiting a fintech company, Yadin made the leap into defense to tackle one of the military’s toughest operational problems: autonomous systems for subterranean environments.
The conversation explores how lessons from Ukraine, Gaza, and other modern conflicts are changing assumptions about maneuver warfare. As the air domain becomes increasingly contested by drones and precision fires, Yadin argues that tunnels and underground infrastructure are becoming the next critical battlespace.
Steve and Yadin also discuss what it’s like building an early-stage defense startup—from fundraising and navigating the Pentagon acquisition process to working with DARPA and balancing rapid commercial development with government customers.
The episode closes with a broader discussion on defense innovation, startup strategy, and where autonomous systems are headed over the next decade.
Building the Future of Defense: Investing in Founders, Factories, and Autonomy | Vardan Gattani, 645 Ventures
Defense venture capital has entered a new era.In this episode, Steve Simoni speaks with Vardan Gattani, Partner at 645 Ventures, about why investors are increasingly focused on national security, how defense …
Shownotes
Defense venture capital has entered a new era.
In this episode, Steve Simoni speaks with Vardan Gattani, Partner at 645 Ventures, about why investors are increasingly focused on national security, how defense startups are evaluated, and what founders need to build enduring companies.
Vardan on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vardangattani/
645 Ventures: https://645ventures.com/
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Steve on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevensimoni/
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The conversation covers the rise of defense investing, lessons from Shield AI, manufacturing and supply chains, defense procurement, and why the next generation of defense companies will need to excel across both software and hardware.
Whether you’re a founder, investor, or simply interested in the future of defense technology, this episode provides an inside look at how one of the industry’s leading venture firms thinks about building category-defining companies.
Dark Factories, AI Agents, and Mass Production for Defense | Dennis DeMeyere, Autonomous Production
In this episode, Steve sits down with Dennis DeMeyere, Co-Founder and CEO of Autonomous Production.Manufacturing capacity has become a strategic advantage. As drones, autonomous systems, and precision weapons …
Shownotes
In this episode, Steve sits down with Dennis DeMeyere, Co-Founder and CEO of Autonomous Production.
Manufacturing capacity has become a strategic advantage. As drones, autonomous systems, and precision weapons reshape modern warfare, the ability to produce at scale is becoming just as important as the technology itself.
Dennis discusses how autonomous factories, AI-powered manufacturing systems, and distributed production networks could transform the defense industrial base.
We explore lessons from Ukraine, the promise and limitations of additive manufacturing, the concept of dark factories, and what it will take to rapidly scale production in the event of a major conflict.
We also discuss:
- Autonomous manufacturing
- Additive manufacturing and 3D printing
- Distributed production networks
- AI agents in industrial operations
- Drone production at scale
- The future of the defense industrial base
David on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennisdemeyere/
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How Investors Evaluate Defense Startups | Jason Zins, Nomi Capital
Jason Zins is the Founder and Managing Partner of Nomi Capital. Nomi Capital invests across defense, aerospace, manufacturing, space, energy, and national security technologies. Jason shares how his team …
Shownotes
Jason Zins is the Founder and Managing Partner of Nomi Capital.
Nomi Capital invests across defense, aerospace, manufacturing, space, energy, and national security technologies. Jason shares how his team evaluates defense startups, why they focus on later-stage companies, and what separates durable businesses from hype-driven investments.
We discuss the current state of defense venture capital, manufacturing bottlenecks, the evolution of military technology, defense software, hypersonics, space infrastructure, and why Jason believes defense remains underinvested despite growing attention from investors.
Jason on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-zins-5317aa3a/
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The Future of Defense Integration, Open Systems, and Edge Computing | John Parkes & Amber Walker, Parry Labs
In this episode, Steve sits down with John "JD" Parkes, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Parry Labs, and Amber Walker, Chief Growth Officer.(00:00) Intro(01:34) Building Parry Labs(02:58) Edge computing and …
Shownotes
In this episode, Steve sits down with John "JD" Parkes, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Parry Labs, and Amber Walker, Chief Growth Officer.
(00:00) Intro
(01:34) Building Parry Labs
(02:58) Edge computing and electronic warfare
(07:26) Mapping the defense technology ecosystem
(22:06) Advice for defense startups
(31:01) Ukraine and scalable military systems
(32:30) AI at the edge
(44:20) How defense contracting really works
(45:43) Customer acquisition in defense
(52:24) Software business models in defense
(55:30) The hidden factory behind software
(56:54) Why defense still needs system integrators
(58:45) Open architectures and autonomy marketplaces
(01:02:45) Platform risk in defense acquisition
(01:22:06) Why the best product doesn't always win
Parry Labs develops mission-critical software and digital infrastructure that helps military systems communicate, integrate, and operate more effectively in contested environments.
We discuss the evolution of military software, the push toward open architectures, the realities of defense acquisition, and why integration remains one of the hardest problems in defense.
We also discuss AI at the edge, customer acquisition in the defense market, startup competition, and what it takes to build and scale a company serving the Department of Defense.
John Parkes on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-parkes-979738b/
Amber Walker on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amber-walker-8a2245a7/
Parry Labs: https://parrylabs.com/
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Picogrid and the Defense Integration Problem | Zane Mountcastle
Zane Mountcastle is the co-founder and CEO of Picogrid, a defense technology company building the software and hardware infrastructure layer that connects drones, sensors, autonomous systems, and command …
Shownotes
Zane Mountcastle is the co-founder and CEO of Picogrid, a defense technology company building the software and hardware infrastructure layer that connects drones, sensors, autonomous systems, and command platforms into unified operational networks.
Learn more about our sponsor, Cushman & Wakefield: https://linkly.link/2hoRt
(00:00) Intro
(01:18) What Picogrid actually does
(03:34) The integration problem across defense systems
(07:02) Building infrastructure instead of one-off integrations
(10:41) Deploying software inside the DoD
(12:05) Picogrid’s early contracts and growth
(15:07) Why acquisition incentives create friction
(18:45) The engineering talent problem
(22:31) The changing defense industrial base
(27:05) Drone warfare and air defense economics
(31:10) Scaling a defense startup
(35:02) Hardware and manufacturing realities
(39:04) The future of autonomous warfare
(42:58) Marketing and communication in defense tech
(46:32) AI hype vs reality in defense
(50:14) Venture capital and defense startups
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Allen Control Systems (ACS): https://www.allencontrolsystems.com/
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In this episode, we discuss the integration problem across modern defense systems, why autonomy changes the scale of warfare, and what it actually takes to deploy usable technology across the Department of Defense.
Zane explains how Picogrid approaches interoperability, why software infrastructure matters as much as hardware, and how the defense industrial base is being reshaped by startups building specialized capabilities.
We also get into the economics of drone warfare, acquisition bottlenecks, the reality of scaling defense companies, and why the future battlefield depends on systems that can work together instead of operating in silos.
How Drones and Autonomous Boats Are Reshaping Maritime Warfare | Ben Cipperley, HavocAI
Ben Cipperley is the Chief Strategy Officer of HavocAI and a former Navy EOD officer who spent more than two decades in the Navy, including work on robotics, autonomy, and the Navy’s strategic modernization …
Shownotes
Ben Cipperley is the Chief Strategy Officer of HavocAI and a former Navy EOD officer who spent more than two decades in the Navy, including work on robotics, autonomy, and the Navy’s strategic modernization efforts.
(00:00) Intro
(01:21) Ben’s Navy background
(05:05) Robotic naval systems
(12:15) Replicator initiative
(13:25) Containerized warfare
(16:46) Starlink and communications
(25:21) Ukraine vs Russian Navy
(27:55) China and Pacific deterrence
(40:47) Autonomous weapons policy
(46:34) Building a robotic Navy
(56:10) Autonomous minesweeping
(01:00:15) Counter-UAS at sea
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In this episode, we break down how autonomous systems are changing maritime warfare, why drones are forcing militaries underground, and how the U.S. Navy is trying to adapt to a world shaped by cheap autonomous systems and mass production.
We also discuss Taiwan, the Strait of Hormuz, sea denial, logistics, shipping vulnerabilities, modular payloads, Replicator, mines, and why low-cost autonomous systems are beginning to flip the traditional cost equation of warfare.
This is a wide-ranging conversation about the future of naval warfare, defense procurement, autonomy, and the changing character of war.
Defense Investing in the Age of AI, China, and Industrial Competition | Weston Moyer & Jonathan Rue
Weston Moyer and Jonathan Rue of MVP Ventures join The Drone Ultimatum to discuss defense tech investing, AI, robotics, aerospace, manufacturing, and what it takes for startups to scale in national …
Shownotes
Weston Moyer and Jonathan Rue of MVP Ventures join The Drone Ultimatum to discuss defense tech investing, AI, robotics, aerospace, manufacturing, and what it takes for startups to scale in national security.
00:00:00 — Intro
00:02:13 — Anthropic and Pentagon AI concerns
00:07:16 — Saronic and defense manufacturing scale
00:08:46 — Guam and Pacific logistics
00:12:25 — Shahed drones and counter-UAS economics
00:14:04 — How defense sales actually work
00:29:38 — Anduril, Lattice, and defense software
00:31:10 — Rebuilding American manufacturing
00:33:12 — Freeform and advanced manufacturing
00:41:28 — Why overcapitalized startups fail
00:43:43 — Ukraine lessons and preparing for China
00:52:09 — AI warfare and Taiwan scenarios
00:53:19 — Wartime industrial mobilization
00:54:21 — Apple, China, and manufacturing risk
01:04:33 — SpaceX and industrial scaleThey break down why capital can be a weapon in defense tech, how startups should think about government sales, why congressional and departmental strategy both matter, and what separates serious defense companies from companies chasing momentum.
The conversation also covers Saronic, Skyways, Valinor, Anduril, Freeform, Cambium, SpaceX, China, Taiwan, industrial mobilization, and the future of American manufacturing.This is a wide-ranging discussion on venture capital, defense production, government go-to-market, and the companies trying to rebuild the industrial base.
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How Pryzm Is Building the AI OS for Defense Procurement | Nick LaRovere
Nick LaRovere is the co-founder and CEO of Pryzm, a startup building an AI-powered operating system for defense business development and procurement.00:00 - Intro01:19 - AI coding, “vibe coding,” and hiring …
Shownotes
Nick LaRovere is the co-founder and CEO of Pryzm, a startup building an AI-powered operating system for defense business development and procurement.
00:00 - Intro
01:19 - AI coding, “vibe coding,” and hiring engineers
04:27 - What Pryzm does and the future of defense procurement
10:35 - AI, CRMs, and the changing defense sales process
18:00 - Raising from Andreessen Horowitz and building Pryzm
24:36 - Scaling manufacturing in defense tech
27:12 - “Every company becomes a defense company”
32:28 - Startup culture, engineers, and product building
35:01 - “Startups are war”
40:13 - Palantir culture, Alex Karp, and defense tech talent
48:11 - How defense procurement is changing
59:49 - Anthropic, AI companies, and defense partnerships
01:02:18 - Closing thoughts
In this episode, Nick and Steve talk about why selling into government is still so relationship-driven, how defense companies can use better data to find the right opportunities, and why the traditional CRM stack falls short for companies selling to the Department of Defense.
They also get into AI-assisted coding, the challenge of evaluating engineers in the age of “vibe coding,” how startups should think about product management, and why defense tech may still be underinvested despite all the recent hype.
The conversation covers Pryzm’s work with both defense companies and government customers, the future of acquisition reform, and how the changing battlefield is forcing the procurement system to move faster.
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Reindustrializing Drone Manufacturing in the U.S. | David Michelson, Re:Build Manufacturing
David Michelson, former Army Ranger, DIU autonomy leader, and current Drones Thesis Leader at Re:Build Manufacturing, discusses what’s actually working and not working in drones and autonomy today.Learn more …
Shownotes
David Michelson, former Army Ranger, DIU autonomy leader, and current Drones Thesis Leader at Re:Build Manufacturing, discusses what’s actually working and not working in drones and autonomy today.
Learn more about our sponsor, Cushman and Wakefield.
This conversation covers:
- Why autonomy is a spectrum, not a switch
- Lessons from Ukraine that the U.S. may be misreading
- The reality of drone operations vs. “swarm” hype
- Manufacturing constraints and scaling challenges
- Why design for manufacturability matters early
- The role of competition in defense acquisition
- What it takes to actually field systems at scale
Re:Build Manufacturing (Website)
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Epirus to CX2: Electronic Warfare and the Future of Drone Defense | Nathan Mintz
Nathan Mintz, founder and CEO of CX2 and former founding CEO of Epirus, joins the show to break down how electronic warfare is reshaping modern drone defense.Nathan Mintz (LinkedIn)CX2 WebsiteWe cover the …
Shownotes
Nathan Mintz, founder and CEO of CX2 and former founding CEO of Epirus, joins the show to break down how electronic warfare is reshaping modern drone defense.
We cover the origin of Epirus, the moment the drone threat became impossible to ignore, and how soft kill systems fit into a layered approach to counter-UAS.
Nathan also explains what it actually looks like to build a defense company today, from working inside legacy primes to launching and scaling startups in a system that rewards access, alignment, and execution.
This episode is a practical look at electronic warfare, soft kill vs kinetic solutions, and how companies like CX2 are thinking about the future of drone defense.
• Electronic warfare and soft kill systems
• The rise of the drone threat
• Epirus origin story and lessons learned
• From legacy primes to startups
• Building CX2 and modern defense companies
• Counter-UAS strategy and layered defense
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Inside Valinor Enterprises: What It Takes to Grow in Defense Tech | Kurt Freshley
Kurt Freshley, Chief Growth Officer of Valinor Enterprises, joins the show to break down the company's strategy and portfolio companies while sharing what it actually takes to scale in defense and advanced …
Shownotes
Kurt Freshley, Chief Growth Officer of Valinor Enterprises, joins the show to break down the company's strategy and portfolio companies while sharing what it actually takes to scale in defense and advanced manufacturing.
From navigating procurement and aligning with real customer demand to building sustainable growth inside a complex ecosystem, this conversation gets into the operational reality behind the headlines.
We discuss how defense companies think about growth differently, where most startups get it wrong, and what separates companies that win programs from those that stall out.
Kurt also shares perspective on aligning incentives across government, primes, and startups, and what it takes to build something that actually gets fielded.
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Why U.S. Manufacturing Demand Is Surging Across Defense, Aerospace, and Semiconductors
Jamie Goettler (CRO, BTX Precision) breaks down what’s actually happening inside U.S. advanced manufacturing right now.Demand across defense, aerospace, semiconductors, and medical devices is surging at the …
Shownotes
Jamie Goettler (CRO, BTX Precision) breaks down what’s actually happening inside U.S. advanced manufacturing right now.
Demand across defense, aerospace, semiconductors, and medical devices is surging at the same time, but the real story is on the supply side. Can U.S. manufacturing actually scale to meet it?
We cover reshoring, tariffs, precision manufacturing constraints, and what it takes to rebuild the industrial base.
Topics include:
Why demand is rising across multiple industries at once
The real bottlenecks in U.S. manufacturing capacity
What reshoring looks like in practice
The role tariffs play in accelerating domestic production
Why precision manufacturing is uniquely difficult to scale
Questions answered in this episode:
Why is U.S. manufacturing demand increasing?
Can the U.S. reshore production at scale?
What are the biggest constraints in advanced manufacturing?
LINKS
Full episode transcript
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