Crossing the Valley

Noah Sheinbaum
Crossing the Valley

Few companies make it from pilot to production in the defense market. Those who do often change the industry in the process. How do they do it? What lessons can startups take from their trials, successes, and failures? Crossing the Valley tells the stories of the trailblazers who are forging a new path for America's defense. www.valleycrossers.com

  1. Ep 29: Finding a Needle in the Haystack

    10 HR. AGO

    Ep 29: Finding a Needle in the Haystack

    About Overwatch Imaging Founded in Hood River, Oregon, Overwatch Imaging is changing how the industry processes aerial sensor data through automation. Rather than building another drone company, they're creating technology that makes every aerial platform smarter. Their automated sensor operator software tackles a critical challenge: helping small teams process massive amounts of aerial data efficiently. The company, now 30 people strong, has evolved from supporting emergency response to providing crucial capabilities across defense and commercial applications. They're proving that you don't need to be in a traditional tech hub to build world-changing technology. For more about Overwatch: https://www.overwatchimaging.com/ For more Crossing the Valley: LinkedIn | X | YouTube Follow Greg: LinkedIn Follow Noah: LinkedIn | X 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

    46 min
  2. Ep 28: Doing Customer Discovery in Defense

    JAN 8

    Ep 28: Doing Customer Discovery in Defense

    About Forterra Formerly known as RRAI, Forterra is revolutionizing ground autonomy for both defense and commercial applications. Their mission is simple but ambitious: get humans out of harm's way. While many startups chase flashy features, Forterra focuses on building autonomous systems that work "nearly every time" in the most demanding environments. Their approach is working: they've secured major programs like Rogue Fires with Oshkosh, where they're helping the Marine Corps project force with minimal human footprint. With 265 employees and growing, they're proving that deep tech startups can successfully navigate the complex journey from R&D to production-scale deployment. For more about Forterra: forterra.com For more about Scott Sanders: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottbsanders/ For more Crossing the Valley: YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify 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

    39 min
  3. Ep. 27: Building (Many) Defense Startups

    12/11/2024

    Ep. 27: Building (Many) Defense Startups

    Kyle Olson's path to defense tech started in a firefight. As a Marine Raider Team Commander in Iraq in 2020, he found himself coordinating airstrikes with a broken military radio. The solution? A forbidden Iraqi cell phone and Signal messaging app. That moment crystallized something he'd long suspected: commercial technology had outpaced military equipment in many areas. Instead of heading to business school as planned, Kyle joined Fairwater Labs, where he's now COO, helping build the next generation of defense tech companies. Spun out of a major Bay Area VC firm, Fairwater Labs is productizing the defense innovation process. Unlike traditional venture studios that retain majority ownership, Fairwater gives founders control while providing deep operational support. They've developed a systematic approach to identifying market opportunities, matching them with the right founders, and supporting early growth. The model is working: their first company achieved a successful exit within 36 months, and they're on track to launch four new companies in 2024. For more on Fairwater: fairwaterlabs.com For more about Kyle: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-o/ For more Crossing the Valley: https://youtube.com/@crossingthevalley 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

    35 min
  4. Ep 26: Using Hardware to Sell Software

    12/04/2024

    Ep 26: Using Hardware to Sell Software

    About Datashapes AI Founded with technology developed at Stanford, Datashapes brings a unique approach to electronic warfare and signals intelligence. Their platform processes spectrum data at the tactical edge, enabling operators to make real-time decisions. With 21 patents and deployments spanning special operations to commercial venues, they're proving that signal processing innovation can serve both battlefield and civilian use cases. Rather than organizing by service branch, they've taken a unique domain-first approach that's enabling adoption across space, maritime, and land domains simultaneously. For more on Data Shapes: datashapesai.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

    44 min
  5. Ep. 25: Bootstrapping the Thunderdome

    11/27/2024

    Ep. 25: Bootstrapping the Thunderdome

    About Strike Solutions Founded two years ago in Nevada, Strike Solutions is seeking to make sense of the IoT data explosion. Their flagship product, Thunderdome, is a multi-modular sensor fusion platform that processes spectrum data at the tactical edge. By correlating signals with video feeds for facial and license plate recognition, Thunderdome provides crucial situational awareness for operators. Strike also recently launched Prism, a packet capture solution that helps customers identify compromises in their tech stacks. Both products demonstrate Strike's ability to rapidly develop and deploy capabilities that solve immediate operational needs. For more: On Strike Solutions: strikesolutions.io On Emma: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmaprz/ On Chris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-%E2%80%9Cpacman%E2%80%9D-spach-4ab077111/ 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

    47 min
  6. Ep. 24: Laying the Foundation for Defense Disruption

    11/21/2024

    Ep. 24: Laying the Foundation for Defense Disruption

    About the Garrett and Dave In 2019, Marine reconnaissance veteran Garrett Smith looked at tactical operators' challenges and saw something most others missed. While the industry chased large, networked systems, Smith recognized a fundamental gap: warfighters at the tactical edge lacked the software tools to make sense of their growing data streams. As a former Reconnaissance, Intelligence, and Infantry Officer, a graduate of Stanford University's Ford Dorsey Program in International Policy Studies, and a former head of business development at Kespry, Garrett had the perspective, network, and know-how to do something about it. He’s joined on this episode by Dave Caudle, Reveal’s VP of Defense and Security, and an Army infantry veteran in his own right. Notably, both Garrett and Dave continue to serve in reserve units, maintaining direct connection with their user base. Their technical leadership includes a number of additional Silicon Valley operators who bring deep technical expertise to these defense challenges. For more on Reveal: https://www.revealtech.ai/ For more on Garrett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wgarrettsmith/ For more on Dave: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-caudle-10223270/ For more Crossing the Valley: www.valleycrossers.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

    1 hr
  7. Ep 23: Supplying Commercial Data for Defense Missions

    11/13/2024

    Ep 23: Supplying Commercial Data for Defense Missions

    About Bazze Founded in 2019, Bazze is an intelligence platform designed to transform how the defense and intelligence community accesses and utilizes commercial data. The company's platform enables users to know everything about a person, place, or thing using exclusively commercial data sources. Users of Bazze technology can quickly identify potential security risks and gather comprehensive intelligence using publicly available information. For more on Bazze, or if you’re interested in checking out their products, head over to bazze.io For more on Sammy, you can follow him on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/semwangu/ 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

    32 min
  8. Ep 22: How Project Maven Delivered AI to the Army

    10/02/2024

    Ep 22: How Project Maven Delivered AI to the Army

    This summer, Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET) at Georgetown published the paper Building the Tech Coalition: How Project Maven and the U.S. 18th Airborne Corps Operationalized Software and Artificial Intelligence for the Department of Defense (check it out here). Today’s episode dives deep into the case, highlighting a crucial illustration of successful defense innovation. 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

    40 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Few companies make it from pilot to production in the defense market. Those who do often change the industry in the process. How do they do it? What lessons can startups take from their trials, successes, and failures? Crossing the Valley tells the stories of the trailblazers who are forging a new path for America's defense. www.valleycrossers.com

Information

  • Creator
    Noah Sheinbaum
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2025
  • Episodes
    30
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Noah Sheinbaum
  • Show Website
    Crossing the Valley

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