Back to EU-Startups Podcast

Podcast Episode

Why Ukraine is Europe's DefenceTech Lab

EU-Startups Podcast··23 September 2026·36 min

About this episode

Andreas Flodström, co-founder, Varangians Key Points: • The story behind the Varangians name and its connection between Sweden and Ukraine.. • How building Beetroot shaped Andreas Flodström’s relationship with Ukraine.. • Why Ukraine has become an important centre for DefenceTech innovation.. • The balance between pure DefenceTech and dual-use technologies.. • What Europe can learn from Ukraine about drones, electronic warfare and rapid innovation.. • How investors evaluate technology, teams, governance and risk.. • Whether today’s DefenceTech investment surge marks the beginning of a new European industrial era.