We’re bringing the European Defense Tech community together for a one-day conference in Berlin—immediately following the European Defense Tech Hackathon
Over the past 16 months, European Defense Tech Hackathons have grown into a continent-wide movement: 16 hackathons, dozens of meetups, hands-on drone workshops, and field-testing days across Europe.
From these events, a new generation of defense innovators has emerged—builders who turned weekend prototypes into real companies. The New Defense Summit is where this momentum converges:
It’s your opportunity to meet our alumni in person, alongside startups, investors, and partners from the broader European Defense Tech community.
November 17, 2025, 12 pm – 6 pm @Berlin
Speakers
Agenda
12:00
Doors Open
13:00
Welcome by Organizers
13:15
Finding the White Space: Navigating Blind Spots in Defense Tech
Lightning Talk by Anton Verkhovodov – D3 Venture Capital Firm
13:30
Building and Structuring a Defense Company
Keynote by Andreas Frank, Partner EY
14:00
Pitch Session
Bulwark Defense Systems, MUUV, SentIRX, Alpha Affinity, Sapper Intelligence, Kolu Gears, GutSee Health, Synteza AI, SMAESH, Postup Solutions, yky.tech
14:30
Software-Defined Defense and Counter-Drone Solutions: Accelerating Innovation with the Bundeswehr
Sarah Marie Sandmann, Cyber Innovation Hub of the German Armed Forces
Networking Area
Why We Keep Getting Russia Wrong (And How Ukraine Got It Right)
Workshop by Maksym Eristavi, Volya Hub
15:00
Networking Break
15:30
Building a Startup for Success
Workshop by Karl Rosander and Jens Holzapfel, Nordic Air Defense
Networking Area
3 Things Defense Founders Should Remember
Workshop by Matt Sobecki, Bifrost Defence
16:00
Defence Innovation as a Business: How to Build for the Future?
Workshop by Yuri Kozik, Resist Labs
Networking Area
What Makes a DefTech Project Investable?
Workshop by Guillaume Lerouge, Hexa
16:30
Legal Essentials for Defense Tech Founders
Compliance for AI & Sensor Startups in the Defense Context by Kristina Lohfink, Periskop Partners
Defense Tech & Export Controls by David Rösch, Noerr Partnerschaftsgesellschaft
Government Procurement and Defence Regulation by Christopher Wolters, BLOMSTEIN
17:30
Open-Ended Networking
18:00
End of Conference
Principles
Unlike large generalist conferences, the New Defense Summit is deliberately small, practical, and founder-focused.
Expect short pitches, lightning talks, and hands-on workshops designed to deliver tangible outcomes—not endless panels. And instead of rushed coffee breaks, we’ve built in time for genuine conversations that lead to real partnerships and contracts.
What’s in for You
This one-day, curated event is built for builders ready to go from prototype to company:
- Develop your business — meet your first customer, find partners, and build the connections to scale.
- Secure capital — connect with angels, venture funds, and strategic investors, or explore non-dilutive funding.
- Navigate regulation & procurement — decode export controls, security accreditation, and real-world paths into defense markets.
- Connect with the right people — founders who’ve done it before. Investors who understand that defense tech is different from SaaS. Industry experts who can help you with specific questions.
We know how challenging the journey can be for early-stage startups. That’s why we organise this summit.
“New Defense refers to a new breed of technology-first, venture-backable defense startups that operate with speed, adaptability, and technical excellence.”
— Jonatan Luther-Bergquist on Substack
The New Defense Post.
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