We notice entrepreneurs involved in defence and dual-use technology recommend that other founders start conversations early and stay true to their mission if they see an opportunity. Callie Lissinna of Wyvern, James Neufeld of samdesk, and Christopher Cassin of Zero Point Cryogenics discussed the future of defence technology as part of an update on the MIT REAP Edmonton initiative at Edmonton Unlimited on March 3. Organizations in the region have been positioning Edmonton as a defence hub in recent months as the federal government aims to strengthen Canadian defence supply chains.
As a company that captures hyperspectral imagery from space, Wyvern fits naturally with defence applications. Lissinna said it wasn't the company's original focus, but the company still built relationships with the defence industry early on. "It turns out, in hindsight, that was a great move to have built the relationships, because oftentimes you're kind of waiting for times like now, when it's clear that there is willingness to spend," Lissinna said. "I would encourage companies whose technologies maybe don't lend themselves so naturally to dual use to consider building the relationships now … because Wyvern inadvertently did that, and it has been great."
Samdesk's real-time, AI-powered crisis monitoring and alerts are used by civilian companies as well as the defence departments in the United States, United Kingdom, Sweden, and Norway. Neufeld said that just two or three years ago, the company was chastised for its defence work: "Investors wouldn't touch us — we were an ESG risk," referring to environmental, social, and governance metrics that influenced many investment decisions in the first half of this decade. But the attitude toward defence has shifted. The entrepreneurs who are positioned to thrive in the dual-use environment are "people that have been always extremely committed to their mission," Neufeld said.