Machine Minds
Machine Minds - the minds behind the machines! This is the show where we dive deep into the intricate worlds of robotics, AI, and Hard Tech. In each episode, we bring you intimate conversations with the founders, investors, and trailblazers who are at the heart of these tech revolutions. We dig into their journeys, the challenges they've overcome, and the breakthroughs that are shaping our future. Join us as we explore how these machine minds are transforming the way we live, work, and understand our world.
Machine Minds
Episode 103 | Inside The Defense VC Boom | Nick Snoad
I sat down with Nick Snoad, VP at Marlinspike, to talk about the surge of capital into defense and dual-use tech—and how he actually evaluates teams, markets, and milestones at the earliest stages.
What we get into:
- Why dual-use matters: bigger markets, more paths to scale
- How stage changes the bar: from “prove the tech and market” at seed to “execute and expand” post-A
- Using non-dilutive routes (SBIRs, DIU, OTAs, TACFI/STRATFI) without losing the product roadmap
- Where adoption is slow and where it’s breaking open: autonomy, simulation-driven wargaming, and the factory OS
- Sectors on his radar now: energy (incl. nuclear and geothermal) and data-enabled manufacturing
- What “value-add” looks like in defense VC (it’s not just a check)
- Team signals he trusts: balanced founding groups, clear hiring plans, self-awareness on when to bring in a scaler
- Advice to vets breaking in: go learn inside a startup, then decide if investing is your lane
https://marlinspike.substack.com/
https://marlinspike.us/
Connect with Nick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-snoad-340389157/
Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregtoroosian/