​Defence Tech Meetup Fall 2026

​For STARTUPS:

​If you are a startup, please register using the dedicated startup application form below, otherwise your application will be rejected. All startup applications will also be considered for the 10 pitch slots and 15 exhibition stands available at the event.

​Apply here:
Startup application form

​Attendance is limited to two people per startup. Applications accepted until November 12th.

​Important: This is a curated, closed-door defence event. All participants are verified and approved by the hosts. For security and privacy reasons, the exact location, final speaker list and operational details will be shared only with confirmed attendees.

​Funding. Procurement. Market Access.

​BSV Ventures, Patria, and Millog invite you to a focused, working-level forum bringing together defence and dual-use startups, defence primes, procurement organisations, military end-users, investors and policymakers from across the Nordic and Baltic region and other allied ecosystems.

​Defence innovation is moving faster than traditional procurement and investment models were designed to handle. Technologies can move from development to field testing in months, while procurement, deployment and industrial scale-up may still take years. At the same time, unprecedented amounts of venture capital are entering defence tech, pushing both the ambitions and valuations of companies significantly higher.

​This closed-door forum will focus on two questions:

​Is the capital flowing into defence tech creating sustainable companies or increasingly ambitious valuations – and how do we turn successful field testing into procurement and deployment at scale?

​The agenda combines investment debate, operational and procurement perspectives, practical lessons from EU–Ukraine defence industry collaboration, startup showcases and curated networking.

​November 19th | 12:30–17:00
Location will be shared with approved guests
Capacity: ~200–250 participants
Format: curated, closed-door, defence-focused

​What to expect

​A focused, working-level discussion on the realities of building and scaling defence technology – bringing together perspectives from investors, defence forces, procurement organisations, primes, startups and NATO/allied institutions.

​The event is designed for practical conversations, direct access to decision-makers and curated networking, rather than broad industry presentations.

​Panels

​Defence Tech: Are We Building Value or Valuations?

​Defence tech is attracting unprecedented amounts of capital, with some companies reaching multi-billion valuations before procurement has caught up. The panel will discuss what justifies those valuations, what realistic exits look like, and whether we are building the next generation of defence champions – or pricing them as champions before we know who wins.

​Expected speakers: representatives of Nato Innovation Fund, In-Q-Tel, Keen Venture Partners, Danske Bank Growth.

​From Field Test to Procurement: How Defence Innovation Actually Scales

​A successful field test is only the beginning. The panel will explore what needs to happen next to move from soldier validation → requirement → procurement → deployment → scale, and how successful testing can translate into real procurement and adoption across multiple allied markets.

​Expected speakers: representatives of defence forces and procurement organisations, OPEX participants, defence industry and NATO/allied institutions.

​Preliminary Agenda

​12:00 – Doors open for exhibitors
12:30–13:00 – Guest arrival and registration
13:00–13:10 – Opening remarks by BSV Ventures, Millog and Patria
13:10–13:20 – Tough Tech from the Tough Ten report presentation: key findings and data
13:20–14:00 – Panel I: Defence Tech: Are We Building Value or Valuations?
14:00–14:30 – Networking and coffee break
14:30–15:10 – Panel II: From Field Test to Procurement: How Defence Innovation Actually Scales
15:10–15:25 – Keynote: EU–Ukraine Defence Industry Collaboration: Practical Lessons from the Field
15:25–15:55 – Startup pitches: 10 selected companies
15:55–16:00 – Closing remarks
16:00–17:00 – Networking

​Who should attend

• ​Defence and dual-use startups

• ​Angels and VCs

• ​Defence primes and integrators

• ​Military end-users and procurement organisations

• ​Government and policy representatives

• ​NATO and allied ecosystem stakeholders