Sparkmind Capital

About Sparkmind Capital

Join us for our weekly show, the “Protect Europe Podcast” (PEP), where we interview Founders and Investors building the companies that protect Europe. And dive deep with our monthly podcast “Category Leaders”, where we celebrate enduring European headquartered companies that have “won” their category globally. Last but not least, listen out for "Sparkmind Invested", our fortnightly news and analysis show where we unpack the events that matter and distil the trends for "security curious" investors.

Publisher

Colin Brown

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

2 Oct 2025

Latest episode

3 Nov 2026

Latest episodes

88 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   3 Nov 2026

   European Defence Founders: DTCP’s 500M Fund Is Open

   Europe needs more defence capital. But investing in defence requires more than money: it demands specialist knowledge, patience, strong industry relationships and an understanding of how the sector actually works. In this episode, Colin Brown sits down with Joel-Oskar from DTCP to explore the investment opportunity in European defence, security and resilience, and what it takes to build the next generation of European defence technology companies. DTCP has launched a dedicated defence fund with approximately 500 million in capital, focused on backing European defence and security businesses. With a focus on growth-stage companies, the fund aims to help promising businesses scale their products, manufacturing capabilities and commercial reach. Joel-Oskar shares his journey from Finland to London, his experience investing in technology and cybersecurity, and why he believes now is a pivotal moment for European defence investment. IN THIS EPISODE Inside DTCP’s defence fund Discover the fund’s investment thesis, its growth-stage focus, and the kinds of companies it wants to back. Kraken Technologies and autonomous maritime systems Why maritime security, unmanned surface vessels and the protection of critical infrastructure represent important opportunities for European defence. Six Robotics and drone swarming Learn how autonomy and software can coordinate multiple drones, and why open technology ecosystems could shape the future of defence. What defence founders need from investors Why specialist investors matter, how long government procurement cycles differ from traditional software sales, and why the right relationships can be as important as capital. Closing Europe’s defence funding gap Why Europe needs more dedicated defence investment, greater participation from private capital and pension funds, and more funding to help companies manufacture and scale. KEY TAKEAWAY FOR FOUNDERS Not all venture capital is created equal. When choosing an investor, founders should look beyond the size of the cheque. Does the fund have the right people, experience, relationships and understanding of defence procurement? Can it help the business navigate strategic partnerships and scale across Europe? For companies with proven products, customer traction and a path to growth, finding the right investment partner can make a significant difference. CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction: Finland, London and DTCP 01:01 Meet Joel-Oskar and the story behind DTCP 03:17 From Finland to London 07:00 From investment banking to technology and cybersecurity investing 12:15 Inside DTCP’s dedicated defence fund 17:53 Kraken Technologies and the future of maritime security 24:50 Six Robotics: Autonomy and drone swarming 28:40 How DTCP helps portfolio companies scale 34:23 What founders should look for in a defence investor 36:56 Who is backing DTCP’s defence fund? 40:59 Why Europe needs more defence investment 44:33 What types of companies should approach DTCP? 45:42 Closing thoughts and Slush in Helsinki ABOUT THE GUEST Joel-Oskar is part of DTCP’s Venture and Growth Group and works on its dedicated defence investment strategy. His experience spans technology investing, cybersecurity and dual-use technologies, bringing an investment perspective shaped by both the American and European defence ecosystems. ABOUT THE CONVERSATION This episode explores the intersection of venture capital, defence technology, European security and industrial resilience, with practical insights for founders, investors and anyone interested in the future of Europe's defence ecosystem. If you work in defence tech, invest in European technology, or are building a company that could strengthen European security and resilience, this conversation is for you. Subscribe for more conversations with the founders, investors and leaders shaping Europe’s technology and defence landscape. #EuropeanDefence #DefenceTech #VentureCapital #DefenceInvestment #DualUseTechnology #EuropeanSecurity #DTCP

2. 

   29 Oct 2026

   Why Forests Need Drones | Air Forestry

   Today, thinning a forest means sending two 20-ton machines in to remove trees that weigh about 80kg on average. The trails they need clear-cut roughly 20% of the forest, just for access. Air Forestry does it from the air instead. A six-metre, six-armed drone selects a tree, grabs it from the top, strips the branches using gravity, cuts the trunk with an electric chainsaw, and lifts the whole tree out to the roadside. It’s the same end product the industry already pays for, without a single track through the forest. Co-founder and CEO Caroline Walerud has spent 15 years in startups and deep tech investing. She sold bread door to door as a teenager, studied natural sciences at Cambridge, and founded Volumental, which has now scanned more than 60 million feet. She then invested in deep tech through her family’s office before jumping back in as an operator. In this episode, Colin Brown and Caroline cover: - What selling bread door to door teaches a founder - Volumental: starting with a technology instead of a problem, and what that cost - Investor vs operator: the filter of “would I work with this team two days a week for 15 years?” - Forestry 101: why commercial thinning matters for forest health, carbon and wildfire risk - The world’s first air harvest - How two operators supervising 6–12 drones could deliver a huge productivity increase - Why forestry is a regulatory sweet spot for autonomy - Building a vertically integrated drone, tool and software stack in Uppsala Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:55 From door-to-door bread to Cambridge 02:13 Lessons from selling door to door 03:25 Volumental and 60 million feet 08:34 From investor to founder 12:01 The first meeting: harvesting a tree from above 15:03 Forestry 101: why thinning matters 19:58 20-ton machines vs 80kg trees 22:11 The world’s first air harvest 26:32 Huge productivity increase 29:04 Inside the drone 32:03 The team 34:49 Customers and pilots 37:16 Funding, grants and the regulatory sweet spot 41:24 Who should lead the round 42:58 Wrap-up 🔗 Air Forestry links: https://airforestry.com/ (https://airforestry.com/) https://www.linkedin.com/in/cwalerud/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/cwalerud/) https://www.linkedin.com/company/airforestry/home/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/airforestry/home/) #AirForestry #Forestry #Drones #Autonomy #ClimateTech #DeepTech #Sweden #Podcast

3. 

   27 Oct 2026

   Betting on Space, Robotics, Compute | OTB

   Marcin Hejka grew up in Gdańsk’s old town and went to a high school across the street from the shipyard where Solidarity was born. During strikes, his school sat inside the police cordon. At 20 he was helping write Poland’s foreign investment strategy. At 24 he sat on the board of a listed Polish bank. He then spent 18 years at Intel Capital. He joined in 1999 to open Central and Eastern Europe, when Polish internet penetration was around 1-2% and all dial-up, and finished as global IC member responsible for every international market except China. He personally led 36 investments, five of which became unicorns. Central and Eastern Europe turned out to be Intel Capital’s best-performing region in the world. Then he took UiPath to the investment committee twice, at seed and at Series A, and was turned down both times. That was his signal to leave. In 2017 he co-founded OTB Ventures as a deep tech fund when everyone else in the region was backing SaaS and marketplaces. OTB focuses on space, physical AI, and AI and novel computing, and ICEYE was its fourth investment. In this episode, Colin Brown and Marcin Hejka cover: - Growing up at the epicentre of Poland’s fight against communism - Intel Capital in its founder-led prime under Andy Grove - Why corporate VC drifts from strategy to tactics - The UiPath miss, and what it taught him - Why OTB picked three deep tech verticals instead of one - How sovereignty turned deep tech from a niche into the mainstream - OTB’s model: €1–10M first tickets, 8–15% stakes, a board seat and 50% reserves Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:19 Growing up in Gdańsk next to the shipyard 04:55 The last student strike and a government job at 20 08:57 A priest, a confessional and Poland’s first passports 11:46 Investment banking, Soros and a bank board at 24 14:31 Joining Intel Capital in 1999 17:19 Intel in its founder-led prime 20:46 CEE becomes Intel Capital’s best region 22:33 36 investments, five unicorns 25:22 Why leave Intel? 33:25 Saying no to UiPath, twice 36:16 Founding OTB in 2017 41:22 Sovereignty makes deep tech mainstream 48:06 OTB today: stage, tickets and ownership 54:42 What Marcin is most proud of 56:55 Wrap-up 🔗 OTB Ventures: https://otb.vc/ (https://otb.vc/) #DeepTech #VentureCapital #Poland #SpaceTech #Europe #Sovereignty #Podcast

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