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THE INVESTOR SUMMIT IS BACK.
For the last three years, we’ve brought together the world’s most influential investors, founders and executives to debate the future of the space economy.
This year, for the first time, we’re expanding into defense technology.
The Investor Summit y @payloadspace and @tectonicdefense, bringing two of our biggest industries together under one roof.
On November 3 & 4, we’re taking over the iconic Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills for our most ambitious summit yet. Over two days, we’ll convene the most important leaders across space and defense alongside $8 trillion in institutional capital.
📍 The Beverly Hilton
🗓️ November 3 & 4
Attendance is by application only 👇
For the last three years, we’ve brought together the world’s most influential investors, founders and executives to debate the future of the space economy.
This year, for the first time, we’re expanding into defense technology.
The Investor Summit y @payloadspace and @tectonicdefense, bringing two of our biggest industries together under one roof.
On November 3 & 4, we’re taking over the iconic Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills for our most ambitious summit yet. Over two days, we’ll convene the most important leaders across space and defense alongside $8 trillion in institutional capital.
📍 The Beverly Hilton
🗓️ November 3 & 4
Attendance is by application only 👇
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Mo Islam retweeted
SPEAKER ANNOUNCEMENT:
Toby Ross, Partner at @BaillieGifford will be joining the Space & Defense Investor Summit.
Baillie Gifford is one of the UK's largest asset managers, overseeing nearly £200 billion that was among the earliest institutional backers of Tesla and invested in SpacBeverly Hilton
🗓️ November 3 - 4, 2026
Toby Ross, Partner at @BaillieGifford will be joining the Space & Defense Investor Summit.
Baillie Gifford is one of the UK's largest asset managers, overseeing nearly £200 billion that was among the earliest institutional backers of Tesla and invested in SpacBeverly Hilton
🗓️ November 3 - 4, 2026
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SPEAKER ANNOUNCEMENT:
Toby Ross, Partner at @BaillieGifford will be joining the Space & Defense Investor Summit.
Baillie Gifford is one of the UK's largest asset managers, overseeing nearly £200 billion that was among the earliest institutional backers of Tesla and invested in SpacBeverly Hilton
🗓️ November 3 - 4, 2026
Toby Ross, Partner at @BaillieGifford will be joining the Space & Defense Investor Summit.
Baillie Gifford is one of the UK's largest asset managers, overseeing nearly £200 billion that was among the earliest institutional backers of Tesla and invested in SpacBeverly Hilton
🗓️ November 3 - 4, 2026
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Mo Islam retweeted
Technology + important industries for American life now = the most valuable and important companies
a16z's @ConnorLoveCA says if you apply tech to the industries that built America, you can build some of the world’s most valuable companies.
“For the last 20 years, companies like Boeing and Rio Tinto and ExxonMobil have been inherently really important to the fabric of s warm, they get us across the country, they kept us safe in a war. But those have not been the most valuable companies.”
“Now, when you look at the market, go look at the NYSE tickers behind you, they’re technology companies.”
“And so when you apply technology to the areas that are just so important for the fabric of America, you’re going to have both these really important companies to the world and the most valuable companies of the world."
"And that’s the investable opportunity today.”
With @itsmoislam at the @NYSE
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SPEAKER ANNOUNCEMENT:
Turner Caldwell (@tbc415), CEO of @MarianaMinerals will be joining the Space & Defense Investor Summit.
Mariana is building autonomy-first mines and refineries in the US for the copper and lithium that AI, energy, and defense all run on, starting with Coppium One in Texas.
The company recently raised $310 million led by @khoslaventures.
📍 The Beverly Hilton
🗓️ November 3 - 4, 2026
Turner Caldwell (@tbc415), CEO of @MarianaMinerals will be joining the Space & Defense Investor Summit.
Mariana is building autonomy-first mines and refineries in the US for the copper and lithium that AI, energy, and defense all run on, starting with Coppium One in Texas.
The company recently raised $310 million led by @khoslaventures.
📍 The Beverly Hilton
🗓️ November 3 - 4, 2026
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SPEAKER ANNOUNCEMENT:
Marshall Smith, CEO of @Starlab_Space will be joining the Space & Defense Investor Summit.
Starlab is an ISS-class station designed to reach orbit fully outfitted on a single Starship launch, backed and supported by @voyagertech_, Airbus, Mitsubishi, MDA SpacBeverly Hilton
🗓️ November 3 - 4, 2026
Marshall Smith, CEO of @Starlab_Space will be joining the Space & Defense Investor Summit.
Starlab is an ISS-class station designed to reach orbit fully outfitted on a single Starship launch, backed and supported by @voyagertech_, Airbus, Mitsubishi, MDA SpacBeverly Hilton
🗓️ November 3 - 4, 2026
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SPEAKER ANNOUNCEMENT:
Jonathan Cirtain, CEO of @Axiom_Space will be joining the Space & Defense Investor Summit.
Axiom is building its station by docking its first modules to the ISS, then detaching them to fly free before the ISS retires in 2030. The company’s latest round toppBeverly Hilton
🗓️ November 3 - 4, 2026
Jonathan Cirtain, CEO of @Axiom_Space will be joining the Space & Defense Investor Summit.
Axiom is building its station by docking its first modules to the ISS, then detaching them to fly free before the ISS retires in 2030. The company’s latest round toppBeverly Hilton
🗓️ November 3 - 4, 2026
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SPEAKER ANNOUNCEMENT:
Max Haot (@maxhaot), CEO of @vast will be joining the Space & Defense Investor Summit.
Vast is building Haven-1, a single-module commercial space station that lays the groundwork for Haven-2, its multi-module successor to the ISS. The company raised $500 millBeverly Hilton
🗓️ November 3 - 4, 2026
Max Haot (@maxhaot), CEO of @vast will be joining the Space & Defense Investor Summit.
Vast is building Haven-1, a single-module commercial space station that lays the groundwork for Haven-2, its multi-module successor to the ISS. The company raised $500 millBeverly Hilton
🗓️ November 3 - 4, 2026
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Mo Islam retweeted
The Space & Defense Update is LIVE from the @NYSE
@itsmoislam and @JackKuhr are joined today by:
– @Gedmark, CEO of @Astranis
– @ConnorLoveCA, General Partner at @a16z
– @daynagrayson, Co-Founder of @constructcap
– @e_h_obrien, Managing Editor of @tectonicdefense
We're digging into:
– Astranis' $468M credit facility from the U.S. Export-Import Bank, and how it ramps domestic satellite production and launches.
– a16z's American Dynamism push, and where the firm sees the biggest opportunities in defense, manufacturing, and the industrial base.
– Why Construct Capital is investing in foundational industries, and what it takes to rebuild them.
– Lessons from a week in Kyiv, and what Ukraine's front lines are teaching defense tech.
Comment if you love space and defense (help us share the show!) 👇
x.com/i/broadcasts/1…
@itsmoislam and @JackKuhr are joined today by:
– @Gedmark, CEO of @Astranis
– @ConnorLoveCA, General Partner at @a16z
– @daynagrayson, Co-Founder of @constructcap
– @e_h_obrien, Managing Editor of @tectonicdefense
We're digging into:
– Astranis' $468M credit facility from the U.S. Export-Import Bank, and how it ramps domestic satellite production and launches.
– a16z's American Dynamism push, and where the firm sees the biggest opportunities in defense, manufacturing, and the industrial base.
– Why Construct Capital is investing in foundational industries, and what it takes to rebuild them.
– Lessons from a week in Kyiv, and what Ukraine's front lines are teaching defense tech.
Comment if you love space and defense (help us share the show!) 👇
x.com/i/broadcasts/1…
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🫱🏽🫲🏻 @VardaSpace x @WillBruey
Our full interview with Varda CEO @WillBruey at the @NYSE on the company's $251M Series D and being a space, biotech, and defense biz.
“We now have drugs that are required to get to market via microgravity. And when that happens, what’s fascinating is now we have a perpetual nd so, I think that is like the inflection point where industry has gone from confined to our home planet to slightly off our home planet in orbit."
"And I think that’s the most exciting thing to me. To me, that’s on the scale of when life went from sea to land."
"So my goal is to be like Muddy the Mudskipper, the first fish that went from sea to land."
"It was ugly. It was not beautiful. It was not glorious. He’s flopping around in the mud."
"And that’s kind of what we’re doing. We’re just shipping bioreactors to space and back. But that is literally the epic transition.”
We covered:
0:49 $251M Series D
1:51 Varda’s two business lines
1:55 Microgravity drugs
5:12 Changes since Series C
5:58 United Therapeutics
7:45 AI as an accelerant
9:01 Investors view
9:58 Modeling revenue
11:21 Hypersonic testing
14:02 Delivery from orbit
16:26 Heat shield
18:36 Vehicles 8 and 9
With @itsmoislam and @VardaSpace
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Mo Islam retweeted
Northwood Space CEO Bridgit Mendler on building the infrastructure for 1,000 SpaceXs:
"I wanna see 1,000 SpaceXs. And I wanna see them not take 25 years to get there. I wanna see them get there in five years."
"I really believe that the best outcome for humanity is being able nfettered, democratized space future."
"Being able to build infrastructure that introduces capabilities that so many different, not just companies, but countries can stand on, is really exciting."
"Think of cloud infrastructure and what it enabled for all of the internet-based companies. So many companies would not have been able to achieve that global reach if they had to think about deploying their own fiber and standing up internet exchange points all around the world."
"I know it sounds like a ludicrous thing to say, 1,000 SpaceXs, but if you said that about cloud, maybe it doesn't sound so ridiculous now."
@bridgitmendler w/ @itsmoislam
"I wanna see 1,000 SpaceXs. And I wanna see them not take 25 years to get there. I wanna see them get there in five years."
"I really believe that the best outcome for humanity is being able nfettered, democratized space future."
"Being able to build infrastructure that introduces capabilities that so many different, not just companies, but countries can stand on, is really exciting."
"Think of cloud infrastructure and what it enabled for all of the internet-based companies. So many companies would not have been able to achieve that global reach if they had to think about deploying their own fiber and standing up internet exchange points all around the world."
"I know it sounds like a ludicrous thing to say, 1,000 SpaceXs, but if you said that about cloud, maybe it doesn't sound so ridiculous now."
@bridgitmendler w/ @itsmoislam
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Mo Islam retweeted
it's official! I joined @itsmoislam & Arkaea Media as Director of Video & Audience
I'll be leading Spectra, the new video content arm covering all Arkaea industries: space, defense, energy, biotech, & more
first up: V2 of the live show we've been building with the @NYSE
why c@NYSEal tech?
the more I use AI, the more obvious it is that most of the internet will be automated. when that happens, value shifts to the physical, IRL, to people building real things
these industries have the most important stories on earth
there's a reason people cry at rocket launches. we know we're watching something that matters. I'm honored to help tell the stories of the people building it, and hopefully inspire the next generation to get involved
what I want to do differently
the media in these spaces is great, but most of it is built to traditional standards. it feels like cable news. people left cable for the internet because they found belonging, community, and a chance to be seen online. I want to build critical tech media with that internet-native lens
really honored to be working with @itsmoislam @JackKuhr @rhea_sideris and the rest of the Arkaea Media team
y'all will be seeing me in NYC a lot.
keep an eye out, something new & big is dropping very soon...
I'll be leading Spectra, the new video content arm covering all Arkaea industries: space, defense, energy, biotech, & more
first up: V2 of the live show we've been building with the @NYSE
why c@NYSEal tech?
the more I use AI, the more obvious it is that most of the internet will be automated. when that happens, value shifts to the physical, IRL, to people building real things
these industries have the most important stories on earth
there's a reason people cry at rocket launches. we know we're watching something that matters. I'm honored to help tell the stories of the people building it, and hopefully inspire the next generation to get involved
what I want to do differently
the media in these spaces is great, but most of it is built to traditional standards. it feels like cable news. people left cable for the internet because they found belonging, community, and a chance to be seen online. I want to build critical tech media with that internet-native lens
really honored to be working with @itsmoislam @JackKuhr @rhea_sideris and the rest of the Arkaea Media team
y'all will be seeing me in NYC a lot.
keep an eye out, something new & big is dropping very soon...
I'm thrilled to share that Ashley Christenson (@ashnichrist) is joining the Arkaea Media Group team as Director of Video and Audience, where she'll lead strategy for Spectra (our new visual content arm) and our audience growth initiatives.
Ashley started in the creator economy n internet-native live shows, before moving into tech as head of growth at an AI company. She has since built marketing strategies for nearly 60 startups and has spent the past few months helping build out our new live show.
Much more to come soon, but for now welcome, Ashley!
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25 DAYS until @payloadspace and @tectonicdefense hosts the most influential investor event in the space and defense industry.
Who's attending? To name a few: a16z, Activate Capital, AE Industrial Partners, Also Capital, Altimeter Capital, Aramco Ventures, Bain Capital, Bessemer Capital, Booz Allen Ventures, CapitalG (Google), Capital Group, Carlyle, Citadel, Construct Capital, D1 Capital Partners, D. E. Shaw, DCVC, DFJ Growth, Felicis, Fidelity Investments, Founders Fund, Franklin Templeton, General Catalyst, GIC, Goldman Sachs Growth Equity, Harvard University Endowment, Hedosophia, ICONIQ, Interlagos, Linse Capital, Moore Capital Management, Mubadala, NEA, Point72 Ventures, Qatar Investment Authority, Riot Ventures, RSE Ventures, Sands Capital, Sequoia, Snowpoint Ventures, StepStone Group, T. Rowe Price, Tamarack Global, TCV, VanEck, Viking Global, WCM Investment Management, and many more.
The Investor Summit
📍 The Beverly Hilton
🗓️ November 3 & 4
Who's attending? To name a few: a16z, Activate Capital, AE Industrial Partners, Also Capital, Altimeter Capital, Aramco Ventures, Bain Capital, Bessemer Capital, Booz Allen Ventures, CapitalG (Google), Capital Group, Carlyle, Citadel, Construct Capital, D1 Capital Partners, D. E. Shaw, DCVC, DFJ Growth, Felicis, Fidelity Investments, Founders Fund, Franklin Templeton, General Catalyst, GIC, Goldman Sachs Growth Equity, Harvard University Endowment, Hedosophia, ICONIQ, Interlagos, Linse Capital, Moore Capital Management, Mubadala, NEA, Point72 Ventures, Qatar Investment Authority, Riot Ventures, RSE Ventures, Sands Capital, Sequoia, Snowpoint Ventures, StepStone Group, T. Rowe Price, Tamarack Global, TCV, VanEck, Viking Global, WCM Investment Management, and many more.
The Investor Summit
📍 The Beverly Hilton
🗓️ November 3 & 4
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Mo Islam retweeted
SPEAKER ANNOUNCEMENT: Long-range strike has fundamentally changed the shape of the war in Ukraine, allowing Ukrainian forces to hit airfields, ammunition depots, logistics hubs, energy infrastructure, and other critical targets deep inside Russia.
No company has been more than @FirePointUA. The Ukrainian defense giant has developed cutting-edge systems—including the FP-1 and FP-2 long-range strike drones and the recently fielded FP-7 ballistic missile—that are pushing Ukraine’s strike capabilities further and further into Russian territory.
Fire Point CEO @iraterekh will join Tectonic Managing Editor @e_h_obrien at the Tectonic European Defense Summit for a fireside conversation focused on scaling a wartime defense giant, developing (and updating) capabilities at the speed of conflict, and how Europe (and the rest of the world) can benefit and learn from what her company has built.
Early bird tickets are almost sold out. Get yours at the link below before prices go up.
🎟️ TIX: events.tectonicdefense.com/european-defen…
No company has been more than @FirePointUA. The Ukrainian defense giant has developed cutting-edge systems—including the FP-1 and FP-2 long-range strike drones and the recently fielded FP-7 ballistic missile—that are pushing Ukraine’s strike capabilities further and further into Russian territory.
Fire Point CEO @iraterekh will join Tectonic Managing Editor @e_h_obrien at the Tectonic European Defense Summit for a fireside conversation focused on scaling a wartime defense giant, developing (and updating) capabilities at the speed of conflict, and how Europe (and the rest of the world) can benefit and learn from what her company has built.
Early bird tickets are almost sold out. Get yours at the link below before prices go up.
🎟️ TIX: events.tectonicdefense.com/european-defen…
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Mo Islam retweeted
Full interview with NASA's Moon Base Program Manager Carlos Garcia-Galan at Off World to discuss the agency's lunar roadmap.
"We know that wherever we land spacecraft with jet engines that are spewing all the ejecta and regolith around, you can't be very close to that."
"You module close to that area. So we're thinking maybe a kilometer, a kilometer and a half away."
"So the first thing we could do is can we mitigate that? Can we maybe build a berm or something, a wall, that allows us to get that closer?"
"Cause every time you land, you're gonna wanna move people and logistics to where your base area is."
"So perhaps the first set of construction we'll do is things like that."
We covered:
01:59 - Lessons from Apollo 17
03:51 - Phase 1: access and ground truth
04:35 - Phase 2: power, comms, infrastructure
04:57 - Phase 3: permanent habitation
05:12 - What early habitats look like
06:33 - Roads, landing pads and berms
09:02 - Building with lunar regolith
11:18 - Starship and Blue Moon progress
13:25 - Flying 7-9 missions a year
With @itsmoislam
"We know that wherever we land spacecraft with jet engines that are spewing all the ejecta and regolith around, you can't be very close to that."
"You module close to that area. So we're thinking maybe a kilometer, a kilometer and a half away."
"So the first thing we could do is can we mitigate that? Can we maybe build a berm or something, a wall, that allows us to get that closer?"
"Cause every time you land, you're gonna wanna move people and logistics to where your base area is."
"So perhaps the first set of construction we'll do is things like that."
We covered:
01:59 - Lessons from Apollo 17
03:51 - Phase 1: access and ground truth
04:35 - Phase 2: power, comms, infrastructure
04:57 - Phase 3: permanent habitation
05:12 - What early habitats look like
06:33 - Roads, landing pads and berms
09:02 - Building with lunar regolith
11:18 - Starship and Blue Moon progress
13:25 - Flying 7-9 missions a year
With @itsmoislam
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I'm thrilled to share that Ashley Christenson (@ashnichrist) is joining the Arkaea Media Group team as Director of Video and Audience, where she'll lead strategy for Spectra (our new visual content arm) and our audience growth initiatives.
Ashley started in the creator economy n internet-native live shows, before moving into tech as head of growth at an AI company. She has since built marketing strategies for nearly 60 startups and has spent the past few months helping build out our new live show.
Much more to come soon, but for now welcome, Ashley!
Ashley started in the creator economy n internet-native live shows, before moving into tech as head of growth at an AI company. She has since built marketing strategies for nearly 60 startups and has spent the past few months helping build out our new live show.
Much more to come soon, but for now welcome, Ashley!
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SPEAKER ANNOUNCEMENT:
@zanemountcastle , CEO of @Picogrid will be joining the Space & Defense Investor Summit.
Picogrid is building the integration layer that connects the military's sensors, drones, and command systems into a single network.
The company recently raised a $45 millemerVP, @WashingHarbour, @Initialized and others.
📍 The Beverly Hilton
🗓️ November 3 - 4, 2026
@zanemountcastle , CEO of @Picogrid will be joining the Space & Defense Investor Summit.
Picogrid is building the integration layer that connects the military's sensors, drones, and command systems into a single network.
The company recently raised a $45 millemerVP, @WashingHarbour, @Initialized and others.
📍 The Beverly Hilton
🗓️ November 3 - 4, 2026
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SPEAKER ANNOUNCEMENT:
@_Eric_Romo, President & COO of @GoToImpulse will be joining the Space & Defense Investor Summit.
Impulse is building the mobility layer for the space economy, developing spacecraft that move satellites and payloads beyond their initial orbit.
The company most receries D from @137ventures, @dfjgrowth, @Lux_Capital, among others bringing its total capital raised to over $1B.
📍 The Beverly Hilton
🗓️ November 3 - 4, 2026
@_Eric_Romo, President & COO of @GoToImpulse will be joining the Space & Defense Investor Summit.
Impulse is building the mobility layer for the space economy, developing spacecraft that move satellites and payloads beyond their initial orbit.
The company most receries D from @137ventures, @dfjgrowth, @Lux_Capital, among others bringing its total capital raised to over $1B.
📍 The Beverly Hilton
🗓️ November 3 - 4, 2026
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