PODCAST · technology
DefTechPod
by DefTechLink.com
DefTechLink podcasts are practical conversations about how defence markets actually work, starting with the United States and extending to the UK and allied systems. We speak with practitioners, operators, founders, and programme insiders about funding, experimentation, procurement, and why transitions stall or succeed. The focus is lived experience, not hype: what decisions matter, where risk sits, and how defence pathways behave in practice.
Episodes
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Useful Before Perfect: Mariia Cherpak on Ukraine, European Defence and Building Better Ecosystems
In this episode of DefTechPod, Erica Dill-Russell is joined by Mariia Cherpak, a Berlin-based defence professional working across business development, strategic partnerships and ecosystem development in European defence. Originally from Kharkiv, Mariia brings together perspectives from Ukraine’s...
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From Pitch to Adoption: James Murray on NATO DIANA and Defence Innovation
In this episode of DefTechPod, Erica Dill-Russell is joined by James Murray, Accelerator Manager at Janus, the UK accelerator delivering the NATO DIANA programme in partnership with UK Defence Innovation. James brings a wide-ranging background in entrepreneurship, venture capital, university...
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From Cool to Credible: Tim Stringer on Gravity, Jet Suits and Defence Adoption
In this episode of DefTechPod, Erica Dill-Russell is joined by Tim Stringer, VP Defence at Gravity Industries, the UK company behind the Gravity Jet Suit. Founded by Richard Browning in 2017, Gravity Industries began as something many people saw as extraordinary, futuristic and almost impossible…
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Fast, Lean and Fundable: Mads Jensen on AI Founders and Seed Investment
In this episode of DefTechPod, Erica Dill-Russell is joined by Mads Jensen, Managing Partner at SuperSeed, for a practical conversation about AI, seed investment, technical founders and what it takes to build a credible company in a very noisy market. Mads is a former entrepreneur, technologist…
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Protecting What You’ve Built: Drew Rudhall on IP, Patents and Defence Innovation
In this episode of DefTechPod, Erica Dill-Russell is joined by Drew Rudhall, Senior Associate at Reddie & Grose, for a practical discussion on intellectual property and what defence, security and dual-use technology companies need to understand before they start sharing their ideas with the…
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Europe’s New Defence: Jonatan Luther-Bergquist on Startups, Risk and Real Capability
In this episode of DefTechPod, Erica Dill-Russell speaks with Jonatan Luther-Bergquist, General Partner at Inflection and co-founder of the European Defence Tech Hub. Jonatan comes to defence through engineering physics, cryptography, venture capital and deep tech rather than a conventional…
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Winning the Contract Is Not Enough: Alex Scott on Defence Finance and Delivery Risk
In this episode of DefTechPod, Erica Dill-Russell speaks with Alex Scott, Director of Commercial Affairs at Steel Rock Capital, a specialist financing house working exclusively with companies in the defence, security and resilience sectors. For many defence SMEs, the problem is not only finding...
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Too Small to Be a Target? Steve Mason and Dave Collins on Cyber Risk, Defence SMEs and Why Waiting Costs More
In this episode of DefTechPod, Erica Dill-Russell speaks with Steve Mason, founder and CEO of Nova Blue Technologies and former technical director at GCHQ, and Dave Collins OBE, senior director for cybersecurity at Nova Blue and former Royal Air Force officer. The conversation looks at what...
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Ukraine’s Defence Tech Ecosystem: Denys Demko on Brave1, Battlefield Iteration and Allied Innovation
In this episode of DefTechPod, Erica speaks with Denys Demko, Economic Secretary at the Embassy of Ukraine in the United Kingdom, about Ukraine’s defence technology ecosystem and what allied companies, investors and partners can learn from it. Denys explains how Ukraine’s defence sector has grown...
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Cold Weather, Real Lessons: Anssi Aikio on Arctic Testing and Defence Innovation in Finland
In this episode of DefTechPod, Erica Dill-Russell speaks with Anssi Aikio of XD Solutions about Finnish defence innovation, Arctic testing, and why cold-weather experimentation matters far more than many companies realise. The conversation explores how XD Solutions works with the Finnish Defence...
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From Hype to Capability: Nico Nelson on Defence-First Investing in Europe
In this episode of DefTechPod, Erica Dill-Russell speaks with Nico Nelson, founding general partner of Archangel Ventures, about what it really takes to build, back, and scale defence technology in Europe. Drawing on two decades across defence, intelligence, national security, corporate strategy,...
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Sovereignty, Security, and Defence Software: Luca Leone on Kahootz and Building for the Real World
In this episode, Erica Dill-Russell speaks with Luca Leone, CEO of Kahootz, about secure collaboration in defence, what sovereignty actually means in practice, and why these questions matter far more than many early-stage companies realise. Luca brings a rare mix of experience across engineering,...
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Australia, AUKUS, and Defence Innovation: Jake Bostock on Access, Investment, and What Matters
In this episode, Erica Dill-Russell speaks with Jake Bostock, Technology Scout at Beaten Zone Venture Partners and an Australian Army reservist working in capability development, about the realities of the Australian defence market, AUKUS Pillar 2, and why Australia can be both a valuable landing...
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From Norway to Washington: Chloe Friberg on NADIC, Defence Industry Support, and U.S. Access
In this episode of DefTechPod, Erica Dill-Russell speaks with Chloe Friberg, President of the Norwegian American Defense and Homeland Security Industry Council, about what serious market entry support actually looks like when a country is trying to help its defence companies succeed in the United...
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Breaking into U.S. Defence: Colonel Naff on FCT, Access, and What Actually Works
For many international defence companies, entering the U.S. Department of War can feel slow, opaque, and highly competitive. This episode challenges that assumption. Erica Dill-Russell is joined by Colonel Jeffrey Naff, Director of the Foreign Comparative Testing (FCT) Program, to unpack one of…
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Building What Matters: Leadership, Resilience and Dual-Use Innovation
In this episode of DefTechPod, we speak with Andre Turville, a seasoned CEO and entrepreneur whose career spans cybersecurity, energy, clean technology and defence across Europe and Asia. Andre shares a grounded view of what it actually takes to build and scale companies in complex, high-stakes...
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Inside UK Defence Innovation: Dan Sawyers on jHub, Urgency and Adapting at Pace
In this episode of DefTechPod, Erica Dill-Russell speaks with Dan Sawyers, Head of jHub in the UK. Dan discusses why innovation has become such an urgent priority for defence and how the pace of technological change is forcing institutions to rethink how they identify, adapt and adopt new...
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Battlefield Reality: What Ukraine Is Teaching Defence Innovators
Justin Hedges | Executive Chairman & Co-Founder, Prevail Partners Justin Hedges, former Royal Marines officer and Executive Chairman of Prevail Partners, joins DefTechPod to discuss what modern conflict is teaching the defence technology community. Drawing on Prevail’s operational work in…
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From Interest to Contract: Toby McCrindle on IP Protection, Primes and Knowing Your Value
In this episode of DefTechPod, Erica Dill-Russell speaks with Toby McCrindle, Partner and Head of Defence & Deep Tech at Mishcon de Reya, about what really happens between early enthusiasm and an actual defence contract. Toby has worked across major aerospace and defence programmes, inside…
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From Battlefield to Accelerator: Marcus Roberts on NATO DIANA, IoT Tribe and Creating a Seat at the Table
In this episode of DefTechPod, we speak with Marcus Roberts - former British Army officer and now a key figure within Janus Allies and IoT Tribe - about what it really takes for dual-use technology to enter defence markets. Marcus shares how his operational experience in Afghanistan shaped the…
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Inside US Acquisition: PEOs, Pathways, and What Companies Misunderstand
In this episode of the DefTechLink podcast, Tasha Josefsson is joined by David Rolen for a grounded discussion on how defence procurement actually works in practice. They unpack the role of Program Executive Offices (PEOs), how requirements move from interest to structure, and why procurement...
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Building Dual-Use Technology That Actually Transitions: The Eelume Journey
In this episode, Tasha Josefsson speaks with Thomas Nygaard about the story behind Eelume, Norway’s approach to dual-use technology, and what meaningful collaboration actually looks like in practice. The conversation explores how Eelume bridges commercial and defence requirements, why subsea and...
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Designing a Defence Ecosystem: The Story Behind DefTechLink
In this episode of the DefTechLink podcast, Tasha Josefsson sits down with Erica Dill‑Russell to talk through how DefTechLink came into being and, more importantly, why. Erica shares the gap she kept seeing from both sides of the table. Capable companies with strong technology repeatedly…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
DefTechLink podcasts are practical conversations about how defence markets actually work, starting with the United States and extending to the UK and allied systems. We speak with practitioners, operators, founders, and programme insiders about funding, experimentation, procurement, and why transitions stall or succeed. The focus is lived experience, not hype: what decisions matter, where risk sits, and how defence pathways behave in practice.
HOSTED BY
DefTechLink.com
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does DefTechPod have?
DefTechPod currently has 23 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is DefTechPod about?
DefTechLink podcasts are practical conversations about how defence markets actually work, starting with the United States and extending to the UK and allied systems. We speak with practitioners, operators, founders, and programme insiders about funding, experimentation, procurement, and why...
How often does DefTechPod release new episodes?
DefTechPod has 23 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to DefTechPod?
You can listen to DefTechPod on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts DefTechPod?
DefTechPod is created and hosted by DefTechLink.com.
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