Kenneth Skorpen is the co-founder and CEO of BlinkTroll Robotics, a defence tech startup that has raised €1.5 million just a few days ago.

In this episode of Rockets and Radars, Kenneth shares his journey from a decade in Norwegian special forces to building moving target systems that increase soldiers' hit accuracy from 10% to 80%. He reveals how his frustration with predictable static training targets during military exercises led him to start tinkering in his garage, eventually founding a company that now serves over 1,000 soldiers and police across Europe.

Want to get hired in BlinkTroll? https://tally.so/r/3ErqPB

Want to invest in BlinkTroll? https://tally.so/r/nrbDl2
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Chapters:

(00:00) Introduction

(02:28) Kenneth's Background

(08:22) From Oil & Gas to Defence Tech

(11:00) Finding Co-Founder

(20:25) Moving from Norway to Denmark

(28:35) Hiring & Team Building Philosophy

(34:40) Fundraising Journey & Investor Alignment

(43:15) Product Strategy & Future Vision

(49:49) Fire Round: European Defence Industry

(54:40) Military Procurement Across Nations

(58:52) European vs American Defencetech

(01:02:30) Reflections on Training & Purpose

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Takeaways:

1) Military experience provides unique market insight but isn't everything: Kenneth's special forces background gave him credibility and problem awareness, but passion and energy matter more than perfect credentials.

2) Start building while employed to reduce financial pressure: Kenneth developed his moving target systems while working in oil and gas, avoiding the stress of needing immediate revenue to survive.

3) Market pull beats technology push every time: Kenneth only founded BlinkTroll in December 2022 when customers were actively requesting his systems, not when the technology was ready.

4) Find co-founders who complement, don't duplicate your skills: "If there was Kenneth number two, we'd be a terrible team. We'd be fighting over the same drawings." Kenneth handles technical development while Øystein manages sales and business operations - zero overlap, maximum coverage.

5) Customer tolerance reveals product-market fit strength:"The product was pretty sh*tty to begin with... But our customer saw the value even in a flawed product and continued supporting it." When customers endure bugs because the core value is essential, you've found something worth building.

6) Geographic arbitrage can unlock growth: Most of our customers were right across the border." Moving BlinkTroll from Norway to Denmark in 2023 provided better ecosystem support, customer proximity, and cultural alignment with defense priorities.

7) Hire for spark, not just skills: "If you have 10 interviews, there's maybe one person who's got spark in their eyes... not necessarily one with the best education or the best skillsets." Energy and excitement predict performance better than credentials when building early-stage teams.

8) Align with existing procurement needs, don't create new ones: "There is nobody with power or influence in the military procurement program itself by anything based on their own wishes or desires. They simply act upon what is being requested from them." Find out what the military is already looking to buy and align your product with those existing requirements, rather than trying to create new demand.

9) Investor alignment matters: "Do you share my values?... Kenneth turned down higher offers from investors who didn't align with BlinkTroll's mission during their fundraising process.

10) Simplest path to revenue wins over strategic perfection: "What's the shortest way to the money? The simplest solution that gets you revenue as fast as possible." Focus on products that generate cash quickly, then use that revenue to fund longer-term strategic initiatives for sustainable growth.

Omar Qaise is the founder of OQ Technology, Luxembourg's first New Space startup as well as Europe's leading satellite 5G operator in direct-to-device connectivity.

In this episode of Rockets and Radars, Omar shares his journey from working at ESA and DLR to founding a space startup without co-founders in 2016. He reveals how he secured early contracts, demonstrated the world's first satellite 5G connectivity through Tiger missions, and focused on connecting industrial assets beyond cellular coverage. Omar discusses securing €13M in Series A funding co-led by Aramco Ventures, winning the prestigious EIC Accelerator grant, and his vision for a European constellation enabling seamless global connectivity competing with American players.

Want to get hired in OQ Technology? https://tally.so/r/nWdj4J

Want to invest in OQ Technology? https://tally.so/r/mePYbq

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Chapters:

(00:00) Introduction

(02:47) From ESA to Solo Founder

(06:45) Why Luxembourg

(10:52) First ESA Contracts

(15:20) Patenting Strategy

(19:38) Tiger-1 Mission

(24:10) Securing €1.5M Seed Round

(29:32) Aramco Partnership

(35:45) Tiger-2 Mission

(41:20) Series A: Raising €13M and Scaling the Company

(48:30) Batch-1 Constellation

(52:47) Direct-to-Smartphone Pivot

(57:18) Winning the EIC Accelerator

(01:02:30) Future Vision

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Takeaways:

1) Start alone if you have to - Omar started alone when others saw space as too risky: "The entrepreneurial mindset is not for everyone. Finding the right co-founder is difficult, but at some point, I had to take the decision to start the company and take the risk."

2) Speed beats perfection - When asked if he'd spend more time finding co-founders, Omar emphasized momentum: "If you miss the opportunity, then it's an issue. Especially in space right now, things are moving very fast."

3) Institutional funding needs commercial vision - Omar warns against getting trapped in technical development: "Once you get into technical development and excellence, you need always to keep in mind the commercial aspect. As engineers, we just love to build things and get sucked into the technical and forget about the business."

4) Strategic patents create MOATs - OQ's early patents on satellite 5G technology became part of global standards: "Big companies try to push their patents to be part of the standard. That gives you a huge leverage, a big barrier to entry, but also potentially royalties in future."

5) Trade shows should target customers, not space peers - Unlike most space startups, OQ focused on customer-centric events: "We go to the trade shows where we can sell. Maybe a lot of companies will go to space trade shows, but there you get people who try to sell you space things."

6) Focus on real pain points beyond cell coverage - Omar identified critical gaps in global connectivity: "Beyond the cell tower in remote rural areas, in the seas, you don't have any connectivity solution that works with cellular."

7) Capital efficiency is a competitive advantage - Omar strategically allocated limited resources: "We did have budget allocated, plus there are instruments and tools that help us in securing this without exhaustive cost at the beginning."

8) Orbit demonstration creates unmatched experience - Flying early gave OQ Technology irreplicable knowledge: "We've been through a lot of learning and mistakes that we had to correct. Any company trying now to access that also has to go through this whole cycle."

9) European space needs ambitious growth investments - Omar identifies a critical funding gap: "There's a lot of focus and investment on early stage, but you're gonna have companies that evolve to the scale-up stage."

10) Geopolitics can create market openings - Omar recognized how global tensions create strategic opportunities: "Europe needs to be independent with its infrastructure and technology."

Dan Hermansen is the founder of MyDefence, an European drone defence company that's become a global leader in soldier-borne counter-unmanned aerial systems.

In this episode of Rockets and Radars, Dan shares his remarkable journey from Danish Air Force reserve officer to building an European defence tech with 150% annual growth. He reveals how they pivoted from roadside bomb protection to drone defence, securing their first contract with Danish Defence in 2013 with just €1 million while working full-time jobs. He explains My Defence's innovative approach to portable drone detection, the unprecedented NATO framework agreement they recently secured, and his passionate vision for saving lives through technology that's become battle-proven in Ukraine's front lines.

Want to get hired in MyDefence? https://tally.so/r/wkpL1J

Want to invest in MyDefence? https://tally.so/r/wvpR1d

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Chapters:

(00:00) Introduction

(02:47) Developing Anti-IED Tech from Scratch

(05:42) How to Get MoD Funding for Your Defence Startup

(10:20) Setting a 3-Year Product Development Deadline

(14:38) First Hires: Building a Technical Defence Team

(17:32) The Counter-Drone Pivot That Changed Everything

(27:16) Building Multiple Product Lines with Limited Resources

(33:37) Cracking the US Defence Market: Pentagon to Contracts

(43:37) Product Evolution: From Detection to Protection Systems

(52:47) How Ukraine Validated the Counter-Drone Market

(55:58) The Bridgepoint Deal: Sale to a Major Investor

(01:01:14) Securing NATO Contracts and Future Plans

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Takeaways:

1) Start with a meaningful problem - MyDefence began with a powerful mission: protecting soldiers from roadside bombs after meeting an injured soldier who said "If I just had something on me that could protect me against these bombs, then I wouldn't have been in a wheelchair."

2) Begin part-time if necessary - Dan and his co-founders developed their concept for four years while keeping their full-time jobs: "We had full-time jobs. So this was just on the sideline."

3) Secure proper permission - Before working on their side project, they approached their employer: "We made an agreement with my employer that it was okay." Protect yourself legally before pursuing your startup idea.

4) Leverage existing networks - Their breakthrough with Danish Defence came through co-founder Christian's military connections: "He was a former F-16 pilot and still had active reserve duties. So he could open the doors."

5) Set clear product timelines - "We need a product to build a company within three years. If we don't succeed, then we'll be a project company which is not scalable."

6) Stay adaptable to market demands - Their pivot to drone defence came organically when police and prison services expressed interest: "Drones were smuggling stuff into prisons. And the police had problems with drones flying over crowds."

7) Test early with actual users - "You have to give a very early prototype. You're almost embarrassed to give this away... Go test it out. Tell me what works and what doesn't work."

8) Recognize when to pivot resources - When MyDefence couldn't complete their 3D radar development: "We looked at the bank account and said, out of money. So we needed to focus." Know when to shelve promising ideas to survive.

9) Pursue international opportunities aggressively - After meeting a US general at a conference who gave him a business card, Dan immediately arranged a Pentagon meeting: "Just after we've finalized the MITRE challenge, I'll be in Washington, DC."10) Use professional advisors for major transitions - For their acquisition by Bridgepoint, Dan emphasized expert guidance: "We had a team of three people full-time working for nine months on this case." At critical growth stages, professional help is essential.

José Mariano Lopez-Urdiales is the founder of Zero2Infinity, an European space balloon company that's been challenging conventional approaches to space access for over 15 years.

In this episode of Rockets and Radars, José shares his remarkable journey starting with just €90,000 and a vision for space balloon technology that could revolutionize how we access space. He discusses nearly securing a groundbreaking €5M deal with Vodafone to send Will.i.am to perform the first-ever concert from space, the corporate politics that derailed it, and his unwavering determination despite numerous setbacks. José explains Zero2Infinity's innovative approach to space access through balloon technology, why traditional rockets aren't always the answer, and his passionate vision for a European space industry that leads rather than follows.

Want to get in touch with José? https://tally.so/r/w7e479

Want to invest in Zero to Infinity? https://tally.so/r/mBg8JA

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(00:00) - Introduction

(01:44) - What is Zero2Infinity

(05:14) - The Genesis of Zero2Infinity

(07:08) - Balloons vs. Traditional Rockets

(15:43) - Funding Journey: From €200K to €1.5M

(24:41) - The Vodafone Partnership That Almost Changed Everything

(28:32) - Product Evolution: Elevate, Bloon, and Bloostar

(35:03) - Funding Challenges and Strategic Pivots

(43:43) - Current Status and Future Vision

(53:50) - Rapid Fire Q&A

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Takeaways:

1) Start with your unique insight - Jose identified a market gap: "If we can offer a ride that requires less training, less G forces, less risk... Wouldn't that be wonderful?" Find overlooked opportunities where you have genuine conviction.

2) Begin with limited resources - Jose started with just €90,000, strategically using it for "a team, a patent, a website, and a business plan." Get creative with compensation - he offered future flight tickets to attract talent

3) Look beyond your industry's bubble - Rather than pitching at space conferences, Jose presented at luxury travel fairs. "The market for space tourism is adventure travelers, not space nerds." Go where your actual customers are, not where your peers gather.

4) Secure strategic first investors - Getting Ultramagic (a balloon manufacturer) onboard provided technical validation: "They know the path to get all the permits, the insurance, the certification." Your first investors should bring expertise and credibility to unlock your next steps.

5) Persevere through rejection - "No doesn't mean a no in these situations necessarily." The Ultramagic investment came after multiple rejections. Persistence matters more than perfect pitches.

6) Build demonstration capability before scaling - Zero2Infinity proved their concept with a half-scale prototype before attempting full-scale human flight. Create tangible proof that "we've shown that we float, we can fly this" to convince skeptics.

7) Fundraising is about relationships, not spreadsheets - "When I tried to do a roadshow and pitch to people with a spreadsheet, none of that ever worked." Instead, focus on "increasing the surface of contact with serendipity" through constant networking.

8) Use individual investors to attract VCs - Jose found that venture capital firms followed after their limited partners had already personally invested: "We made it embarrassing for the VCs not to follow their LPs."

9) Find investors who need you - "Go to somebody that needs you more than you need them." Standard VCs have endless options, but partners with strategic interests in your specific solution will fight harder to make you succeed.

10) Corporate partnerships require holistic thinking - The OHB collaboration failed because "I was just trying to win... I wasn't thinking how do I make other stakeholders within OHB need my project." Success requires making partners feel valued, not just proving technical superiority.

Stanislas Maximin is the founder and Executive Chairman of Latitude, a company valued over €100 million that's putting France back in the orbital launch business after almost 50 years.

In this episode of Rockets and Radars, Stanislas shares his journey from being a self-described "terrible student" with a passion for rockets to building a space company. He discusses the challenges of starting with just €25,000, battling established players, rebranding multiple times, and creating a culture of rapid iteration and risk-taking. Stanislas explains Latitude's approach to rocket development, his philosophy on team building, and his bold vision for a European space industry that can compete globally.

Want to join Latitude? https://tally.so/r/nrg1B5

Want to invest in Latitude? https://tally.so/r/3EAE5q

Interested in the joining Stanislas' New Space conference? https://lesassisesdunewspace.org/discover-the-ans-2025/(8-9 July '25, Paris)

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Chapters:

(00:00) - Introduction

(03:23) - "I was a terrible student" - Stan's background

(05:01) - Why rockets are just really cool

(12:42) - Starting from zero in the space world

(16:34) - The European space market opportunity

(21:13) - Surviving on €25K: The funding journey begins

(24:42) - The messy rebranding story

(30:25) - Almost running out of money before Series A

(35:19) - The drama with Ariane Group and engine testing

(40:14) - Leveling up: From Series A to Series B funding

(44:24) - Fighting against slow European processes

(50:58) - How rocket development actually works

(56:24) - Creating a faster company culture

(01:05:41) - Making micro-launchers profitable

(01:11:15) - The engine test bet

(01:16:52) - Can Europe compete in space again?

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Takeaways:

1) You don't need a fancy degree

- Stan sucked at school but loved rockets enough to start a company anyway. Passion beats credentials every time.

2) Just start somewhere

- Stan had "no experience, no knowledge, no skills, no nothing except a vision and a passion." That was enough to begin.

3) Your first company name will probably suck

- Latitude went through multiple "s*it" names before finding the right one. Don't stress about perfect branding at the start.

4) Incubators actually help

- Stan joined an incubator and called it "a game changer" for learning startup basics when he had no business experience.

5) The first €25K is the hardest

- They started with just enough to hire some interns and couldn't even pay themselves for almost two years.

6) Move super fast as you grow

- "Your ability to build a great product is linked to your ability to improve, to iterate on every part very fast." This becomes even more important as you scale.

7) Build your own test facilities

- When suppliers and partners slow you down, get control of your testing. "We opened a massive test zone" to move at their own pace.

8) Fight against getting corporate

- As they grew, processes got "heavier and heavier." Stan had to actively reshape the culture to stay nimble.

9) Crazy incentives actually work

- Stan bet his team they couldn't test an engine in two weeks, now he needs a tattoo because they delivered faster than expected.

10) Know when your role needs to change

- Stan recognized when to step back as CEO to focus on vision and strategy where he adds more value to the company.

11) Europe needs to dream again

- "Europe has stopped believing that tomorrow is going to be better than yesterday" and space companies need to help change that.

Daniel Pérez Grande is the CEO of Ienai Space, a Spanish space propulsion startup that evolved from university research into a company pioneering electric mobility for satellites. Beginning with winning the Young Visionaries Award at the International Electric Propulsion Conference in 2017, he built a team that would secure €10 million in funding and put the first European ElectroSpray thruster in orbit.

In this episode, Daniel reveals how he transformed plasma physics research into a thriving space mobility company while surviving on just €12,000 salary and working from a garage. With no initial funding and competitors raising 10X more capital, he shares the dramatic story of nearly closing the business in 2020 before receiving a life-saving grant that same day. Daniel offers critical insights on deep tech fundraising and explains his controversial take on why "space is hard, but propulsion is harder."RetryClaude can make mistakes. Please double-check responses.

Want to get hired at Ienai? https://tally.so/r/m64v6J

Want to get invest in Ienai? https://tally.so/r/wbgr1Z

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Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction

04:10 - "Space is hard, propulsion is harder"

08:38 - Winning the Young Visionaries Award

13:30 - From research to commercial venture

18:24 - Navigating the difficult early years

24:25 - Market research and space industry insights

31:36 - First million in funding journey

38:37 - Doing more with less funding

43:47 - Flight heritage and technical milestones

51:47 - Commercial delivery and dual approach

55:26 - Building a passionate expert team

01:00:34 - The future of Ienai Space

01:05:45 - Quick-fire insights for founders

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Takeaways:

1) Partner with Friends Who Share Your Values

- Daniel and his co-founders were friends from their PhD program who worked well together

- "The fact that we were friends, the fact that we had a personal relationship... I think it's helped with the difficult moments"

2) Expect Near-Death Business Moments

- Ienai Space nearly closed down in early 2020 before receiving critical funding

3) Do More with Dramatically Less Capital

- "We've been able to be on the same level than other companies that have raised five times, 10 times more than we have"

4) Build a Favor Economy in Deep Tech

- Limited resources forced them to get creative with partnerships and borrowing

- "We asked for a lot of favors... had people manufacture things for us for free... had access to facilities for very little money"

5) Master the Non-Dilutive Funding Landscape

- Public funding provided nearly half of their total capital

- "We've raised about €5 MILLION in public funding... Spain has a lot of it"

6) Own Your Critical Technology Components

- Keep high-value components in-house to protect margins

- "Electronics are 50% of the value... if you outsource that technology, it will cut away from your margins crazily"

7) Generate Software Revenue Before Hardware is Ready

- Software tools create cash flow and build trust with future hardware customers

- "If we have software, software is going to be easier and quicker to develop. We can start to generate revenues"

8) Understand Convertible Note Mechanics

- The cap on convertible notes influences your next valuation

- "That cap is going to be used as a reference point for the valuation in your next round"

9) Hire for Hunger Over Experience

- Look for people willing to take on challenges outside their expertise

- "Why do you want to work for a startup instead of Airbus? You could earn probably double what we're paying you"

10) Prepare for Long Fundraising Timelines

- Raising capital takes much longer than most founders expect

- "Never underestimate the amount of time that you're going to take to raise a round... the first round took us a year of negotiations"

Vytenis is the co-founder of NanoAvionics, a Lithuanian spacetech startup that transformed from a university project into a global player in the nano/smallsat market. Beginning with Lithuania's first satellite mission in 2014, he built a company that would eventually be acquired for €65 million by Kongsberg Group, representing one of Europe's biggest space industry success stories.

In this episode, Vytenis reveals how he turned a university satellite project into Lithuania's first space success story that sold for €65 million. With no business experience and a team of passionate "no-lifers," he built a global company competing against industry giants. Vytenis shares critical insights on hardware startups and explains his controversial take on why building satellites is "just like making pizza".

Want to get hired at Unmanned Defense Systems (Vytenis' new startup)? https://tally.so/r/npz1bZ

Want to get invest in Unmanned Defense Systems? https://tally.so/r/mJox9Y

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Chapters:

(00:00) - Introduction

(05:17) - Birth of Lithuania's first CubeSat

(09:37 - University project to NanoAvionics

(14:35) - Core technology innovations

(21:33) - From small grants to millions in funding

(29:14) - Building a team of dreamers

(39:59) - Strategic expansion into US markets

(44:55) - "Amazon of CubeSats" strategy

(53:00) - €65M acquisition by Kongsberg Group

(59:52) - New startup: Unmanned Defense Systems

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Takeaways:

1) Follow Your Passion Before Business

- Vytenis never intended to build a company; he was simply pursuing his engineering passion for satellites and propulsion systems

- "I never thought that we would sell it... I just wanted to be a simple guy, simple engineer who is fulfilling himself"

2) Create Opportunities to Get Lucky

- The first Lithuanian CubeSat project (Lituanica SAT-1) started as a commemoration of a historical flight but became the foundation for a business

- Multiple "lucky" encounters (NASA internship, NanoRacks connection, email from AST) changed their trajectory

3) Prioritize Mentality in Early Hires

- "Mentality, mentality, can-do attitude. The first thing and I think the only one"

- Early team members were "no-lifers, hard workers" who were passionate enough to work beyond normal hours when cash was limited

4) Solve the End-to-End Problem

- Their key differentiator was offering full value chain solutions instead of just components

- "We offered ourselves as being some kind of the Amazon of the CubeSats... full value chain for the customer"

5) Be Ready to Adapt to Market Evolution

- They evolved from selling hardware components to larger platforms as customer and market needs changed

- Recognized when trends shifted (IoT → Earth observation → fundamental research) and adjusted accordingly

6) Leverage Public Funding Strategically

- Used EU funding (Horizon 2020) and Lithuanian government grants to accelerate growth

- Initial €21,000 grant legitimized their efforts and created "a good precedent to dig deeper"

7) Don't Be Afraid to Exit When It's Best for the Company

- "Selling the control package to some other company is the best what you can do for this company... you have to do that step because it's the best for the company"

8) Find the Right Strategic Partner

- AST and later Kongsberg Group provided critical access to the US market and resources for growth

- "It helped us to enter the market... the United States market, which is also a mystique thing"

9) Only One Way to Test Your Ideas

- His final advice: "There is only one way to find out. Go for it... But fight until the end... Only this is how you find out whether your idea was good or bad"

10) Standardization Creates Efficiency

- His vision for "New Space 3.0" focuses on standardized platforms where payloads adapt to vehicles, not vice versa

- This approach makes the process more economically viable in the long term