Market entry & go-to-market
- Military, civil and dual-use use cases, ranked by demand
- Buyer map: ministries, procurement agencies, primes, integrators
- Entry plan for EU and NATO markets
You get a go-to-market plan your team can execute.
Defense & dual-use tech advisory Europe
I help defense technology companies win contracts, capital and partners across Europe and NATO. I have run international defense sales for a European drone manufacturer, and I have built and sold two companies of my own.
Founded and sold two ventures. Invested in a defense startup recently acquired by Helsing
Defense tenders and offers across Europe, North America and Asia
Works in four languages: EN, DE, UK, RU
15+ years as founder, operator and commercial lead
Where defense startups & SMEs stall
Good technology is not enough to sell into defense. These are the gaps I close.
Teams build for "defense" in general and cannot say which buyer, which programme or which country will pay first.
I map the real buyers, rank use cases by demand and build a country-by-country entry plan.
Tenders are scattered across portals and languages, and responses miss criteria, compliance or export timelines.
I find and qualify the right tenders, make the bid / no-bid call and write compliant, competitive responses.
Founders pitch generalist investors and primes who do not understand the product, the market or the sales cycle.
I sharpen the story for defense investors and open doors to the funds, strategics and partners who fit.
Services
Four ways I work with companies. Most engagements combine two, scoped to what you need to win next.
Tenders & bids
- Finding and qualifying tenders on TED and national portals
- Bid / no-bid decisions against evaluation criteria
- Responses, compliance matrices and commercial offers
- Export licensing timelines planned in from day one
You get a compliant, on-time, competitive submission.
Fundraising & investor access
- Narrative and deck built for defense and dual-use investors
- Data room and diligence readiness
- Introductions to defense VCs, corporate venture arms and strategics
You get a round with the right people in the room.
Partnerships & M&A
- OEM, integrator and distribution partnerships
- Supplier and component introductions
- Buy-side and sell-side deal sourcing with primes and acquirers
You get warm, qualified conversations that matter.
Who I work with
Companies with real technology and a real reason to sell into defense now.
Startups · SMEs
Defense & dual-use startups & SMEs
Drones, counter-UAS, sensors, photonics, electronics and software companies, from early-stage startups to established SMEs, with a working product who need defense customers and the right investors.
US · Israel · Ukraine · Asia
Companies entering Europe
Established technology companies that want to sell into EU and NATO procurement and need someone who knows the buyers, the paperwork and the languages.
VCs · CVCs · Primes
Investors & acquirers
Funds and corporates looking for vetted European defense deal flow, partners or acquisition targets.
Step by step
01
Send a short note
What you build, your stage, and what you are trying to win: a tender, a market, a round or a partner.
02
Free 20-minute intro call
We check the fit and I tell you plainly whether and how I can help.
03
Written proposal
A fixed-scope project, a monthly retainer, or success-based terms for deals and introductions.
- Markets
- EU and NATO member states
- Languages
- English, German, Ukrainian, Russian
- Base
- Europe · remote and on site
- Engagement models
- Fixed-scope project · monthly retainer · success-based
- Confidentiality
- Mutual NDA as standard
- First step
- Free 20-minute intro call
About
Karolina Attspodina
Ukrainian founder · Defense & Security Technology Advisor
I know what it feels like to build something from nothing. The deck you rewrite at 2 a.m. after another investor says no. The pilot that slips by six months. The moment you realise the product is ready and the market still does not know you exist. I have built two companies from scratch, and I carry those moments with me.
That is why I do not advise from a distance. I am hands-on. I sit with your team and get my hands dirty with you: the tender response, the investor deck, the buyer list, the hard calls nobody wants to make. I stay in it until things move.
I am Ukrainian, so for me this work is personal. Defense is one of the hardest markets to break into. You should not have to do it alone.
Experience
15+ years of building companies and selling technology internationally, the last years in defense.
- International Expansion Lead · Beyond Vision
International defense sales for a European autonomous UAV manufacturer: government tenders including French DGA, commercial offers, export compliance and partner negotiations across Europe, North America and Asia.
- Founder · Two ventures, both acquired
Founded, built and sold two technology companies.
- Senior commercial roles · Branch.io · Adjust · Glispa
International business development and partnerships at high-growth technology companies.
Angel investor
Early investor in Avtonomy, acquired by Helsing in 2026.
Mentor & advisory
Business Growth Mentor, BMW Foundation RESPOND. Advisory board, GreenTech Alliance.
Fellowships
Obama Leader Europe. Post-Exit Founders (PEF) fellow.
Working languages
ENDEUKRU
Newsletter
Let's Talk Defense
A LinkedIn newsletter on defense, dual-use technology and European preparedness, written from a desk where the war arrives as tenders, export forms and requirement documents.
"A requirement written in spring describes a threat that has changed engines by autumn."
Questions
Which markets do you cover?+
EU and NATO member states. For some tenders I work together with trusted local partners in the buyer's country, so your bid has local knowledge and the best chance of winning.
How are fees structured?+
Depending on the work: a fixed fee for a defined project, a monthly retainer for ongoing advisory, or success-based terms for introductions and deals. You get a written proposal after the intro call.
Do you sign NDAs?+
Yes. Most engagements start with a mutual NDA before any confidential material is shared.
Can you handle export licences?+
I help you plan for them: classification questions to raise, realistic timelines, and how they affect offers and delivery. Legal determinations stay with your export-control counsel and the licensing authorities.
Do you work with very early companies?+
Yes, when there is a working prototype and a team ready to sell. If you are earlier than that, the intro call will tell us whether it is too soon.
Contact
Tell me what you are trying to win: a tender, a market, a round or a partner. Send a few lines about your company and stage.