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/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.valleycrossers.com

Ben Kohlmann, a retired F-18 pilot turned defense investor, and Dan Magy, a seasoned defense founder and CEO of Firestorm Labs, dive into the evolving defense landscape. They explore the revolutionary role of drone swarms in modern warfare and the hurdles startups face in military innovation. They discuss the missed opportunities in the Ukraine conflict and the importance of real-world testing. With a focus on building relationships for defense tech startups, they highlight strategies to navigate government procurement and the art of effective storytelling in Congress.

In this week’s Crossing the Valley, Noah sits down with Hank Holland, CEO of Amaero International, a modern manufacturing company that’s increasingly involved in modernizing America’s industrial base. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.valleycrossers.com

In this episode of Crossing the Valley Noah sits down with Greer Carper, the Senior Vice President of Corporate Development and Strategy at Fortem Technologies. Timestamps: 00:00-03:59: A Journey through Defense Technology Development 03:59-07:04: Moving from Investing to Operating in a Growing Company 07:55-08:47: Navigating Strategy Roles in Startups 10:00-12:38: From Commercial Markets to the Defense Space 18:45-22:02: Leveraging RDTE Funding 22:50-24:23: Navigating the Trade-offs in Counter-UAS Systems 26:10-27:00: International Expansion 27:30-28:45: Next Steps in Defense Contracts and Counter-UAS Innovations This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.valleycrossers.com

In this episode of Crossing the Valley, I had the pleasure of speaking with Misha Govshteyn, the CEO of Macrofab, a Texas-based cloud manufacturing company that is working to revitalize American manufacturing. With a network of over 100 factories across the United States and Mexico, Macrofab supplies defense contractors and helps them produce goods quickly, cost-effectively, and at a higher quality, all while keeping production closer to home. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.valleycrossers.com

Guests Brett Granberg and Nini Hamrick from Vannevar Labs discuss the company's rapid growth, profitability, and future plans in defense tech. They highlight building trust with customers, working with champions, and talent hiring strategies. The podcast explores the journey from idea to fundraising, early customer validation, and strategic decision-making in defense technology startups.

In this episode of Crossing the Valley, I had the pleasure of speaking with Jade Baranski, the founder and CEO of Mobilize. Mobilize is a company that connects end users within the federal government to the companies that provide the capabilities they need.Jade shares the story of how VISION came to be, starting with their participation in an Air Force pitch competition, with twists turns and pivots along the way. The end result is Vision, a data platform, has changed the way data is used in the defense “innovation” and acquisition communities to match buyers and sellers.For more on the Mobilize team, check out mobilizevision.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.valleycrossers.com

CTV Subscribers,I’m excited to bring you this timely episode of "Crossing the Valley." I had the opportunity to sit down with Kara Kramer, the Director of Business Development at AeroVironment, and winner of the first Replicator award!In this episode, Kara spills the beans on AeroVironment's recent win, and goes in depth on the Switchblade loitering munition. We dive into the details of the program, the future of autonomy in the defense industry, and AeroVironment itself.Kara shares valuable insights on the importance of focusing on customer requirements, the benefits of working with both startups and large companies, and the significance of scalability in defense innovation.If you're interested in learning more about AeroVironment, their role in the Replicator initiative, and the future of autonomy in defense, this episode is a must-listen.If you’d like to learn more about AeroVironment, or to join the team, check out avinc.com! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.valleycrossers.com

GoTenna is a great example of a company that built legit tech, found its niche in the federal market, and fought to survive long enough to generate the kind of traction that will allow it to be a smash hit. CEO Ari Schuler joined us to share his candid takes on the company, the journey, and the market. The company supports over 350 agencies in mission-critical operations around the world today. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.valleycrossers.com

Michael Grochol is a fascinating example of when a Silicon Valley-raised problem solver-come-national security expert. His approach to starting a company was long, methodical, and principled. And it led him to the helm of one of the nation’s fastest growing defense services companies.Unlike many founders, Michael actually turned down the first opportunity he had to start a company.Why?He felt he wasn’t prepared.So he focused on acquiring the skills and experiences he knew he would need, to be able to succeed when he finally stepped into the role.Fair to say, that bet is paying off!For more on IronEagleX: https://ironeaglex.com/For more on Michael Grochol: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-grochol/For more Crossing the Valley: https://www.youtube.com/@FrontdoorDefense This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.valleycrossers.com