Good afternoon from the team at Resilience Media
Darkstar held its third Defense Bootcamp, this time in Ukraine, and Resilience Media’s Oleksandr Ihnatenko was there to cover it. I was particularly struck by the German defence-tech founder he met who decided to pivot into the industry after becoming a father. Special thanks to Ragnar Sass and the Darkstar team for letting us report from the event. More about the projects from the Bootcamp in our Dispatches From section below.
As for other pieces on Resilience Media today:
- Our startup coverage is growing now that John Biggs is writing for us. Check out his post about UA Vision Nordic — including the bit where one firefighter called the system “badass sci-fi.” The startup is aiming at dual-use: frontline rescue operations and modern warfare. Read the full piece here. If you want to pitch us your startup, send him an email.
- We’re also pleased to bring you an essay by Sami Moughrabi, from ATMOS Ventures, who asks ‘Is it too late to invest in Europe’s defence tech ecosystem?’
- Looking at Space, Skyrora CEO and founder Volodymyr Levykin makes the case for increased investment into what is a critical vulnerability for NATO and its partners.
Some Resilience Media news: we are hiring a Marketing Programs Manager and a Project Manager. If you have any referrals from your network, please send them our way.
And lastly, this is the final week to complete our short readership survey. As we grow Resilience Media, we want to make sure we’re covering topics that you want to hear about. It only takes three minutes to share your feedback.
-Leslie, co-founder, Resilience Media
For the third time, the Darkstar Coalition gathered emerging defence tech startups, both Ukrainian and foreign, for a bootcamp in Kyiv. Participants were able to trial their products at a testing ground, meet tech-savvy army units, devise integrations with other participants, and meet specialist investors.
Ragnar Sass, Darkstar’s co-founder, kicked the meeting off by reminding the participants that they were there to build weapons to protect democracy. Over the next two hours of wall-to-wall pitching, 20 startups spelled out how exactly are their products contributing to this goal. Read Oleks’ full post here.
Europe’s defence tech sector is booming, with VC funding hitting a record €5.2bn in 2024. Innovation hubs like Helsing (Germany), Blackshark.ai (Austria), and Orbotix (Romania) are leading the charge, spurred by rising government interest amid geopolitical instability. The UK alone earmarked £400m for defence innovation this week, allocating 10% of its equipment budget to emerging tech like drones and AI.
Despite the momentum, Europe risks losing technological sovereignty. The sector lags five years behind the US, hindered by late-stage funding gaps, complex procurement, and a small domestic market. To stay competitive, European allies must collaborate and play to their strengths or risk companies relocating to the US. Read Sami’s essay here.
Technology and National Security Conference, co-hosted by MIT Sloan and Harvard Business School: April 4-5 2025, Boston. This year’s theme, “Adapting in a New Era of National Security,” underscores the urgency of responding to rapid geopolitical shifts and technological advancements. From the conflict in Ukraine to rising tensions in the Middle East and China’s growing influence, the global security landscape demands adaptation across battlefields, the defence industrial base, and public and private sectors. Progress has been made, but much work remains. Together, we must rise to the challenge. Buy your ticket here.
London Defence Tech Hackathon 2025: 10 May 2025, Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. Future Forces, Isembard and EDTH are hosting the 2nd London Defence Tech Hackathon to connect the UK’s brightest young engineering minds with cutting-edge startups, venture capitalists, and U.K. national security leadership and users. Apply here.
Latitude59: May 21-23, 2025, Tallinn, Estonia. Latitude59 is the flagship startup and tech event from Estonia since 2012. In recent years, we’ve grown into a global platform, connecting ecosystems, communities and innovators who change the world and make it a better place. Resilience Media is proud to be a media partner for this year’s event, learn more about it here.
Investing
Defence & Investment on Radio4
Increasing Lethality: How to Move the Needle
Europe
Conquest Is Back: A Peace Deal in Ukraine Could Further Normalize What Was Once Taboo
Germany decides to leave history in the past and prepare for war
UK defence spending: What 2.5% of GDP by 2027 actually means for UK Defence
National Security
Private Data and Passwords of Senior U.S. Security Officials Found Online
Startups
Climate VCs and startups are chasing the defence tech trend
Isar Aerospace’s first rocket test flight crashes — but its CEO dubs it a ‘great success’
