Maëlle Gavet
Contributor
Maëlle Gavet is the CEO of Techstars and was previously a senior executive at numerous large tech companies around the world.
In these times of heightened tensions and global volatility, I believe startups can play a critical role in our defense, space and national security ecosystem by bringing the very latest innovation to public institutions, some of whom lag startlingly far behind.
Startups and active investors in the sector are uniquely positioned to support the defense efforts of the West and the mission to keep our societies safe. Let’s not mince our words: Right now, we are already locked in hybrid warfare with Russia, a nuclear-armed superpower, while tensions with another, China, simmer just below the surface. Despotic regimes threaten our values and way of life, and few would predict that is set to change anytime soon.
Yet despite all this, much of the technology and venture capital industry has shown little inclination to engage with the defense establishment. Prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, over dinner with friends and …
