The Power of Advisors: Why the Best Education Isn’t in a Classroom
From Peta Ellis, General Manager, Beaten Zone Venture Partners There are categories of knowledge that no university course can teach you, not because the subject is too complex, but because
The Commercial Crossover: What SHOT Show 2026 Revealed About the Future of Autonomous Systems
From our Investment Associate Max Quinlan-Ward’s perspective Last month at SHOT Show 2026, I noticed a trend that’s been quietly building for years but is now impossible to ignore. Defence
Australia’s new $500m defence fund has an ESG problem
ESG considerations and their impact on defence investment were recently examined in Capital Brief, with commentary from Steve Baxter on the evolving funding landscape for capability focused venture funds. The
In the War in the Pacific carrier based air power was vital. Battleships bypassed by new technology at scale. What role can drones play now? ⬇️
The contest for advantage in the Air domain will be critical across the Indo Pacific as the gap between the West and rest closes rapidly and quantity not just quality
One Ukrainian drone squad goes to work. Two NATO battalions later and it is clear that the West still has plenty adaption ahead of us. ⬇️
Plenty of combat consternation of late with revelations first reported in the Wall Street Journal that 10 Ukrainians armed with drones made a dramatic impact on a major NATO exercise
“The time is right for hypersonics” … a Queensland based start up is about to test launch a game changing sovereign capability. ⬇️
Three global superpowers operate hypersonic missiles currently – the US, China and Russia. Many nations have hypersonic concepts in development and trial, including Australia. A recent article in the National
The first nuclear submarines of Submarine Rotational Force West are due to dock in 2027 – will we be ready? ⬇️
We’ve previously spoken of the key role that Australia played in the repair and maintenance of the fleet for not just our own Navy, but that of all allies involved
Steve Baxter: Why I’ll only invest in Australian defence startups that are serious about the US
Steve Bater recently contributed an opinion piece to SmartCompany, outlining the importance of Australian Defence startups establishing a meaningful presence in the United States to achieve venture-scale outcomes. The article examines
You Cannot Win US Defense Contracts from a Slide Deck
Intention does not win contracts. Presence does. The Beaten Zone crew kicked off 2026 in LA and Vegas with a two-day team strategy session, followed by the largest trade show
Manufacturing is not something we can afford to just offshore. Captains of Industry, Arsenal apprentices and Machinists for the military are key. ⬇️
First Breakfast has a great short read on their Substack on ‘Laying the Cultural Foundation for Reindustrialization’ that we thoroughly recommend to you. The TLDR version is we need to