Space & Defense: Frontier Tech, Capital, and Deployment
Session Overview
Space & Defense: Frontier Tech, Capital, and Deployment
Commercial space is expanding beyond satellites. Launch costs have dropped 10x in a decade. New applications are emerging: satellite communications, Earth observation, space-based manufacturing, orbital infrastructure, and deep-space missions.
What's commercially viable now versus 5 years out? Where is capital flowing—launch, satellite constellations, ground infrastructure, or applications? How do startups compete with established aerospace companies? What does it take to scale from prototype to deployed systems in space?
Defense innovation is accelerating, driven by geopolitical pressure and new threats. Dual-use technologies—developed for commercial markets but applicable to defense—are changing procurement models and shortening development cycles.
What technologies matter most: autonomy, AI, communications, sensors, materials? How do defense contractors and governments work with startups? Does commercial-to-defense actually work at scale, or does it break down in procurement and regulation?
How do investors assess defense tech—longer timelines, government customers, export restrictions? What's the path from prototype to program of record?
Space investors, commercial space companies, satellite operators, launch providers, defense contractors, dual-use startups, government buyers share what's working, where bottlenecks exist, what's deployable, what's overhyped, and where the real opportunities are.
5-6 questions that challenge assumptions.Our goal: spark investment, partnerships, and deployment—not just discussion.
Defense Tech: Speed, Scale, and Investment
Defense innovation is accelerating driven by geopolitical pressure and evolving threats. Technologies baseline five years ago are now obsolete. New capabilities are needed faster than traditional procurement delivers.
Topics include what technologies matter—drones, autonomous systems, electronic warfare, AI for intelligence and surveillance, dual-use technologies bridging commercial and defense applications—and what's deployable now versus 2-3 years out. How governments work with defense tech startups that lack established credentials. Where dual-use actually works versus where commercial-to-defense breaks down. Investment models for defense tech where government is primary customer and timelines are longer. Whether faster procurement pathways are emerging beyond traditional models.
Defense contractors, dual-use startups, government buyers, investors, and military technology leaders discuss what's deployable, what's overhyped, and where opportunities are.
Host / Speakers
Mike Butcher — Editor-at-large TechCrunch
Brontë Hamilton — CFO Destinus
Shaun Moore — CEO and Co-Founder TERN
Nikolas Bullwinkel — CEO. & Founder Circus SE
Space Technology and the Space Economy
Commercial space is expanding beyond satellites. Launch costs have dropped 10x in a decade, shifting what was government and defense territory into commercial markets driven by private capital and new business models.
Mature markets include satellite communications, Earth observation, positioning, and data services. Emerging applications: space-based manufacturing, orbital infrastructure, lunar missions. Where is economic opportunity now versus aspirational?
Topics include where investment flows—launch systems, constellations, ground infrastructure, applications—and what business models work. How startups compete with established aerospace firms and where partnerships make sense. Moving from prototype to deployment at scale. How commercial companies work with government buyers and where dual-use matters.
Investors, commercial space companies, satellite operators, launch providers, and infrastructure firms discuss what's working and where bottlenecks exist.
Host / Speakers
Elizebeth Varghese — Principal / Partner Deloitte
Daniel Faber — CEO Orbit Fab
Alexandra Vidyuk — CEO & Founding Partner Beyond Earth Ventures
Mike Butcher — Editor-at-large TechCrunch
Deep Tech
Space, defense, quantum, robotics, data & compute—founders, funders, builders.