Ukraine is showing the free world how to innovate and sustain the fight in a long war. Our ‘peacetime procurement’ approach needs to catch up… ⬇️
It isn’t just the level of innovation that Ukraine has achieved to sustain its fierce resistance against Russia’s invasion, it is the way it has leveraged start up culture to
AUKUS Pillar II PitchFest 2025, Winners Announced
What a night at Tank Stream Labs for the AUKUS Pillar II Pitch Fest, held on Monday, 3rd November, alongside Indo Pacific 2025. Nine Australian founders pitched breakthrough Defence technologies across
The crucible of conflict is seeing drone warfare evolve with deadly efficiency. Russia’s Rubicon unit is one example of the fight for an innovation edge. ⬇️
After over three years of a large scale war in Ukraine both Russia and Ukraine have mobilised their economies to feed the consumables of combat to their war machines. Drones
Beaten Zone Venture Partners Backs ZeroMark to Deliver Soldier-Level Counter-Drone Capability
Beaten Zone Venture Partners (BZV) this month announced its participation in a strategic investment round for” ZeroMark, Inc., a US-based defence technology company developing software-defined fire-control systems that bring counter-drone
Beaten Zone Ventures launches AUKUS Pillar II Pitch Fest to spotlight next-generation Defence innovation
Beaten Zone Venture Partners will host the AUKUS Pillar II Pitch Fest, bringing together early-stage founders, investors, and Defence leaders to showcase the technologies shaping the future of allied capability
For once AUKUS is not dominating discussion about nuclear powered submarines… ⬇️
This week on the sidelines of APEC news broke that the US President has granted approval for South Korea to build nuclear powered submarines in the United States. Korean prime
Do we have the equivalent of Anduril’s ‘China 27’ policy? Are we stocking up on the machine tools we need for War? ⬇️
Anduril founder Palmer Luckey was recently on Joe Rogan’s podcast, and in amongst several hours of chat, there were a few golden nuggets from a 33 year old self made
There are no conventional silver bullets. The adaption cycle means what works today may not work tomorrow. Take the Tomahawk missile… ⬇️
Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) has an interesting article on the dilemma for the United States when it comes to providing Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine. There is no doubt that
“The problem isn’t just that we need more munitions. The problem is we’ve designed a system that can’t build them fast enough.” ⬇️
Palantir’s First Breakfast substack has a great article on ‘The Age of Adaptability’ and why the next munitions revolution needs a new triangle of speed (into service), scale and adaptability:
The Japanese Ground Self Defense Force is looking for a light armoured vehicle – and Toyota Landcruiser and Isuzu Dmax are in the mix. ⬇️
Defense Blog is reporting that the Japanese are taking a good look at commercial options to replace the Komatsu light armoured vehicle. A trial has been commissioned evaluating modified civilian
Australia’s Strategic Deficit: Steve Baxter’s Warning
Former soldier and entrepreneur Steve Baxter has issued a blunt warning: Australia is not prepared for major conflict. His concern is not only the size of the defence budget, but
As nations race to restock their fleets and platforms emerge with ever deeper magazines, is the age of the arsenal ship finally dawning?
For some time, maritime strategists have toyed with a novel concept – a lightly crewed or even autonomous ship stocked to the gills with vertical launch missile systems. Known as
In the next large war we face, being able to manufacture at mass will be a key combat advantage. Scale, not sophistication should be our aim. ⬇️
As the Cold War ended and the West fought ‘scheduled wars’ against irregular forces in the Middle East, our Defence Industrial base devolved. Mass gave way to artisan assembly lines,
The modern battlefield is evolving rapidly. New dimensions of warfare are emerging – but there also constants in the character of war. ⬇️
Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) has an excellent series of articles focusing on War and the Modern Battlefield, synthesising lessons of the war in Ukraine and conflicts in
Beaten Zone Venture Partners Backs Zendir in AU$3M+ Seed Round to Advance Space-Cyber Defence Capabilities
Beaten Zone Venture Partners (BZV) shared its participation in the AU$3M+ Seed round of Zendir (formerly Nominal Systems), a digital engineering spin-out of UNSW Canberra Space that is transforming the
A great short read from Mick Ryan, AM on how Australia should invest if the Government chooses to match the NATO 3.5% of GDP standard. ⬇️
The ask from our principal security partner in the United States is that Australia takes a far greater share of the burden. This has been a universal push with NATO
Slowly, but surely the ghosts are stirring. Australia’s embrace of autonomous systems is critical – these offset capabilities can’t come soon enough.⬇️
This week, we’ve seen Australia’s Ghosts – Anduril’s Ghost Shark and Boeing’s Ghost Bat gain international attention. Firstly, the Australian government has signed off on procuring dozens of Anduril’s Ghost
Beaten Zone Venture Partners Backs Tiberius Aerospace in US$4.5M Round to Transform Defence-as-a-Service
Beaten Zone Venture Partners (BZV) this week announced its participation in the US$4.5M founders’ round of Tiberius Aerospace, a US-based defence technology company pioneering a new “Defence-as-a-Service” model. BZV’s first
ESG and National Security: Time to Reset the Balance
In a recent article in The Australian, Beaten Zone Venture Partners Founder Steve Baxter warned that ESG frameworks, if left unchecked, could unintentionally undermine Australia’s sovereign defence capability. His comments
Long war features the battle for the tactical edge, with the adaption race ascendent. But the ability to sustain and scale will decide the outcome. ⬇️
Beaten Zone Venture Partners advisor Mick Ryan had an excellent article earlier this year in Foreign Affairs magazine on why the war in Ukraine has ground to stalemate – an