It’s not a storm — it’s the climate

Skycorp Technologies: Hydrogen Fuel Cell Powered Drones

22 May 2026

Summary:

EPS 41 of the Protect Europe Podcast takes us into how to keep drones in the air for much, much longer. And if you developed that capability, how would the world change! Join Marek Alliksoo, CEO of SKYCORP Technologies, who has turned this science project into something much more exciting.

If you like DeepTech and scrappy startups with huge TAMs, this episode is for you!

We cover:
1) How can you shoot a bullet through a fuel cell
2) The difficulties of getting hydrogen into the cells under pressure
3) How critical infrastructure, such as pipelines, needs drones that can stay in the air
4) What sort of business they are building and how investment from BSV Ventures mattered

TAKEAWAYS:

The MacGyver Connection
Innovating with Hydrogen Drones
The Journey to Hydrogen Fuel Cells
Designing for Efficiency and Safety
Market Applications and Future Prospects
Innovative Hydrogen Solutions for Critical Infrastructure
Enhancing Data Productivity with Drone Technology
Automating Drone Operations for Continuous Surveillance
Building Ecosystems for Energy Security
Addressing Safety Concerns in Hydrogen Technology

It’s not a storm — it’s the climate

Forg3D: Reindustrialising Europe!

29 April 2026

Summary:

Colin Brown and Richard Mincher Founder and CEO of Forg3D discuss how to bring manufacturing closer to the customer.

In this episode of the Protect Europe Podcast, we dive deep into innovative metal 3D printing technology, Forg3D’s company’s strategic location in Sheffield, and the future of reindustrialisation in Europe.

TAKEAWAYS:

Transition to 3D Printing and Metal Manufacturing
The Evolution of Welding and Metal Processing
Richard’s Background and Family Business Influence
Brand and its significance
Business Structure and Growth Strategy
Challenges in the European Investment Landscape
Welding holds the world together—literally.
Titanium is the wonder material for extreme applications.
Data in metal manufacturing unlocks new possibilities.
Why Sheffield? The Strategic Choice
Building a Team and Raising Funds

It’s not a storm — it’s the climate

Stockholm Water Technology: Water from Sunlight

14 April 2026

Summary:

Find the thing that you are singularly best at doing in the whole world and do that with intensity.

Karthik Kunjali is one of those founders. A person whose journey has given him the skills and experiences to take on one of the hardest and possibly most impactful challenges in the world!

TAKEAWAYS:

Karthik’s journey
Transition “from” Solar to Water Treatment
Founding Stockholm Water Technology
Challenges in Traditional Water Treatment
Challenges in Stage-Based Financing
Innovative Projects in Saudi Arabia

It’s not a storm — it’s the climate

Si Robotics: Hiring the Physical AI Mafia

23 March 2026

Summary:

In this Protect Europe Podcast (PEP), Colin Brown sits down with Patryk Szymczak CEO of Si Robotics.

They discuss hiring the “Physical AI Mafia” south of Birmingham (UK), where to build a Category Leading company and building team confidence by taking on extreme tasks.

TAKEAWAYS:

From Poland to Global Ambitions
Strategic Location: Building a Business in the Right Place
The AI Physical Mafia: Talent and Innovation Hubs
Challenges in the Polish VC Ecosystem
Defining the Problem: The Need for Physical AI
The Framework of Dexterous Manipulation
Navigating Capital Raising in the Tech Landscape

It’s not a storm — it’s the climate

Graphene: novel material to awesome product

3 March 2026

Summary:

In this episode of PEP conversation, Olivia Nestius CEO of Graphmatech discusses the significant challenges faced in the graphene industry, particularly focusing on the efficient integration of graphene into materials and the scaling of production processes. She highlights the importance of maintaining performance while managing costs and shares insights into the advancements made in production capacity.

TAKEAWAYS:

The integration of graphene into materials is a complex challenge.
Cost efficiency is crucial for the graphene industry.
Scaling production from small lab setups to industrial levels is essential.
Many companies struggle with scaling in the graphene sector.
Maintaining performance while reducing costs is a key focus.
The company has made significant advancements in production capacity.
Graphene’s high cost per kilo necessitates efficient use.
The transition from desk-sized equipment to large-scale machinery is significant.
Future production goals include hundreds of tons of capacity.
The challenges faced are common across the graphene industry.

It’s not a storm — it’s the climate

Biology Meets Manufacturing

12 February 2026

Summary:

This is a special Protect Europe Podcast (PEP) episode where we dive into what it takes to raise capital for a capital-intensive business.

Colin Brown is joined by Maija Itkonen & Chris Landowski (Co-Founders Onego Bio) and Jaakko Soini (Onvest) to talk about the challenges and massive opportunities of scaling a business that defines “Biology meets Manufacturing”.

The conversation was recorded live in the Onego Bio office with no visuals.

TAKEAWAYS:

The industrial egg market is worth roughly 100B.
Onego Bio is a “hedge” on that market and is welcomed in by the industry to offset the voltality in price and supply.
The platform can produce a lot more than an amino acid replica of the world’s favourite protein.
The company spun out of the legendary VTT with 10M in the bank before incorporation.
Finding investors who are more excited about the company than the founders has been the key to raising.
Regulation is important for safety, but the way you regulate can stimulate or hamper innovation, and we discuss EU vs USA approaches.
The future is at the intersection of Biology and Manufacturing