ONE9

2025 is looking to be another wild one — so, let’s kick it off by kicking back.   Stop by ONE9 Capability Labs for some good conversation, snacks, and drinks (including non-alcoholic for those of you already locked in).   There is plenty of parking available.  If you have any questions, send us a DM. See you soon! 

Tyler Sweatt nails it: "[W]e have an ecosystem without a marketplace. The Department of Defense won’t buy commercial capability at scale from Silicon Valley. The result is fighting with one arm behind our back." We sincerely hope Western governments don't waste the free R&D dollars the private sector has been pouring in since 2021. Time to become a better customer! Read more 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dVEM6zaS

Read it and try not to weep. America, and the West, have yet to fully digest the Last Supper. The West is not currently capable of replicating its industrial success of WWII. In a world where small and cheap beats big and expensive, and to "counter the effects of the Last Supper, it means emphasizing shorter-term contracts with a more numerous variety of smaller companies, thereby encouraging both competition and innovation." It also means fully leveraging private capital to take the necessary bets on these new "small and cheap' entrants, who are the wellspring of innovation. Read more 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gme5YiTB

Glenn Cowan, ONE9 founder, general partner, and Operator-in-Chief, has been spreading this message for more than five years: "Venture capital investing in dual-use tech isn’t new, but its value proposition varies. Most venture capital firms claiming defence tech expertise only provide financial backing, while just a select few truly drive strategic value for both startups and the Department of Defense." "[V]enture firms ought to make both strategic hires and hyper-focused military specification hires to add value to their portfolio. These hires are individuals with deep Department of Defense experience who understand mission needs, know the acquisition process, have the connections to champion the technology and ultimately have served on the ground downrange and have encountered first-hand the problems to address — also known as 'Operators.'” Read more 🔗 https://lnkd.in/emNuc5at

"Tell your banks and pension funds it is simply unacceptable that they refuse to invest in the defence industry. Defence is not in the same category as illicit drugs and [other vices]. Investing in defence is an investment in our security. It’s a must!” What say you, Export Development Canada | Exportation et développement Canada and BDC? Read more 🔗 https://lnkd.in/e8j85qgs

"Like Freedom’s Forge during World War II, US mobilization in the 21st century should rely on fundamental American economic strengths like technological innovation, product adaptability, and market-driven solutions. The Pentagon can field a new generation of weapons that leverage these attributes. The question is whether requirements officials and program managers can start behaving like titans of industry rather than art connoisseurs before it is too late." Modular. Digital. Adaptable. Decentralized. Read more 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ghFc8kfh

"[T]he prime minister should consider ... splitting military funding from other budgetary items. Geopolitics has become more unstable at a time when the Canadian Forces are struggling because of decades of underinvestment. The Liberals deserve full credit for announcing billions for new equipment, but they likely won’t be in power when the follow through on these investments is necessary." "[F]inding consensus in Parliament would place pressure on any incoming government to uphold the promises already made in the Commons.' As we're known to say, defence MUST be non-partisan, and even though this might not be the best political move, it would certainly be best for public policy, and Canadians. Read more 🔗 https://lnkd.in/evM-dfTu

“China doesn’t sit still. They’re all over the sky. Why are they doing this? It’s because they’re coming for you. In their strategy documents, they will tell you, whoever controls space controls the Earth.” Space Domain Awareness gives allies a common operating picture and decision space. And you can't do this without high-fidelity data and insights, of which ONE9 portfolio company, Slingshot Aerospace, is a world leader. Read more 🔗 https://lnkd.in/g2Z32v7e

"I think that people are starting to realize that these technologies are available and I think that what we have been able to do with the Australian navy has begun to make believers ... [and the] the Navy will likely need a mix of capabilities to meet the threat." Anduril Industries has built it, and they look to be coming. Leave it to startups to be forward-looking and deliver new capabilities. It's now for the allied militaries to be forward-looking in how they rapidly adopt these capabilities. Read more 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gj85-4zd

“This policy is attempting to position Canada as a serious Arctic nation, but diplomacy and a few consulates won’t do the work of technological investment, persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance." Glenn Cowan notes that while Canada's newly released Arctic Foreign Policy details new regional diplomatic and multilateral security initiatives, Canada must start by meaningfully investing in the dual-use technologies vital to Arctic development, and security. Read more 🔗 https://lnkd.in/emhKANJY