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The Briefing Room

The Briefing Room

Written by: Beaten Zone Venture Partners
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 Inside The Briefing Room, an Australian venture capital podcast dedicated to Defence, Sovereign Capability and National Security Innovation. Hosted by Peta Ellis, General Manager of Beaten Zone Venture Partners, and other members of the BZV team, each episode takes you behind the scenes with founders, veterans, investors, and operators who are key players in the Global Defence ecosystem that is building and supporting the future of Defence Innovation and Sovereign capability. From battlefield innovation to boardroom execution, we uncover how ideas move from concept to capability, and what it really takes to build and fund critical technology in one of the world’s most complex sectors. Real conversations with Defence founders and venture investorsInsights on early-stage capital, capability, and collaborationStories from Australia’s growing sovereign tech ecosystem This is not theory. It’s the reality of building companies that keep Australia in the fight. Subscribe to stay briefed. Beaten Zone Venture Partners | beatenzone.vc GENERAL PRODUCT ADVICE/MARKETING DISCLAIMER (Fund) Beaten Zone Investment Manager Pty Ltd ACN 667 064 208 and Beaten Zone Management Partnership 1, LP (The Beaten Zone Group) are corporate authorised representative’s (CAR) (CAR Numbers 1303229 and 1303953) of Boutique Capital Pty Ltd ACN 621 697 621 (Boutique Capital) AFSL 508011. This document contains general advice only and has been prepared by The Beaten Zone Group for individuals identified as wholesale investors for the purposes of providing a financial product or financial service, under Section 761G or Section 761GA of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth). The information herein is presented in summary form and is therefore subject to qualification and further explanation. The information in this document is not intended to be relied upon as advice to investors or potential investors and has been prepared without taking into account personal investment objectives, financial circumstances or particular needs. Recipients of this document are advised to consult their own professional advisers about legal, tax, financial or other matters relevant to the suitability of this information. The investment summarised in this document is subject to known and unknown risks, some of which are beyond the control of The Beaten Zone Group and their directors, employees, advisers or agents. The Beaten Zone Group does not guarantee any particular rate of return or the performance of the Fund, nor does The Beaten Zone Group and its directors personally guarantee the repayment of capital or any particular tax treatment. Past performance is not indicative of future performance. The materials contained herein represent a general summary of The Beaten Zone Group’s current portfolio construction approach. The Beaten Zone Group is not constrained with respect to any investment decision making methodologies and may vary from them materially at its sole discretion and without prior notice to investors. Depending on market conditions and trends, The Beaten Zone Group may pursue other objectives or strategies considered appropriate and in the best interest of portfolio performance. There are risks involved in investing in the The Beaten Zone Group’s strategy. All investments carry some level of risk, and there is typically a direct relationship between risk and return. We describe what steps we take to mitigate risk (where possible) in the Fund’s Information Memorandum. It is important to note that despite taking such steps, The Beaten Zone Group cannot mitigate risk completely. This document was prepared as a private communication to clients and is not intended for public circulation or publication or for the use of any third party, without the approval of The Beaten Zone Group. Whilst this document is based on information from sources which The Beaten Zone Group considers reliable, its accuracy and completeness cannot be guaranteed. Data is not necessarily audited or independently verified. Any opinions reflect The Beaten Zone Group’s judgment at this date and are subject to change. The Beaten Zone Group has no obligation to provide revised assessments in the event of changed circumstances. To the extent permitted by law, Boutique Capital, The Beaten Zone Group and their directors and employees do not accept any liability for the results of any actions taken or not taken on the basis of information in this report, or for any negligent misstatements, errors or omissions. This document is for informational purposes only and is not a solicitation for units in the Fund. Application for units in the Fund can only be made via the Fund’s Information Memorandum and Application Form.Copyright 2025 All rights reserved. Economics Leadership Management & Leadership Political Science Politics & Government
Episodes
  • Battle-Tested: Breaking Into U.S. Defence Contracting - Judd McCann in The Briefing Room, Episode 21

    Battle-Tested: Breaking Into U.S. Defence Contracting - Judd McCann in The Briefing Room, Episode 21
    May 6 2026
    Judd McCann, supply chain and defence tech specialist, joins The Briefing Room to share what it really takes to break into U.S. and UK defence markets as an Australian founder. Judd's career spans British MOD contracts in conflict zones, autonomous maritime platform development, and hands-on U.S. federal contracting, including 72-hour bid windows for U.S. Navy programs. He explains why your network is worth more than your product, how SBA programs and joint ventures compress timelines, and why the UK is often the smarter first move before tackling the U.S. Topics include SOFWERX, Cyber CISA, Defense Innovation Unit, Vulcan, Austrade pathways, Sam.gov, Society of American Military Engineers, and why reliability matters more than ego in federal procurement. Find out more: https://beatenzone.vc

    Judd McCann LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juddmccann/

    Host Links (for YouTube description / pinned comment):
    • Peta Ellis (Host): https://www.linkedin.com/in/petaellis
    • BZV YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@BeatenZoneVenturePartners/videos
    • BZV Website: https://beatenzone.vc

    Recorded and Produced at The Podcast Boss podcast studio in Brisbane
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    45 mins
  • From GE Acquisition to Defence Investing - Robin Levison in The Briefing Room, Episode 20

    From GE Acquisition to Defence Investing - Robin Levison in The Briefing Room, Episode 20
    Apr 29 2026
    Robin Levison, investor, former ASX-listed CEO, and one of Beaten Zone's earliest Limited Partners, joins The Briefing Room for a candid conversation on high-risk investing, sovereign capability, and why he sees Australian defence as low-hanging fruit. We trace Robin's career from KPMG auditor to Merrill Lynch investment banker to CEO of an ASX-listed technology company, culminating in a $700 million acquisition by General Electric. Robin explains why he stopped doing his own angel investing, how he came to trust the BZV team's research process, and why special purpose vehicles like HEO's Series A offer investors a way to back sovereign capability on their own terms. Topics include financial discipline in startups, fractional executives, university commercialisation, the future of Australian defence investment, and why the large super funds are about to start paying attention. Guest Links :
    • Robin Levison LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-levison-7b9b3b10/
    • Ignition Equity Partners: https://www.ignitionpartners.net/
    Host Links (for YouTube description / pinned comment):
    • Peta Ellis (Host): https://www.linkedin.com/in/petaellis
    • BZV YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@BeatenZoneVenturePartners/videos
    • BZV Website: https://beatenzone.vc

    Recorded and Produced at The Podcast Boss podcast studio in Brisbane
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    36 mins
  • From SAS to ASX: Wayne Jones on Building the World’s Leading Tactical VR Training Platform | The Briefing Room EP19

    From SAS to ASX: Wayne Jones on Building the World’s Leading Tactical VR Training Platform | The Briefing Room EP19
    Apr 15 2026
    In this episode of The Briefing Room, Peta Ellis sits down with Wayne Jones, CEO and Co-Founder of xReality Group (ASX: XRG) and its subsidiary Operator XR. Wayne served 21 years in the Australian Defence Force, spending the last 15 in the Special Air Service Regiment with deployments across Rwanda, East Timor, and Afghanistan. After leaving the ADF, he co-founded Indoor Skydive Australia (iFly), which listed on the ASX in 2013 as the highest-performing IPO of the year. When a legal battle halted iFly’s expansion, Wayne made a bold pivot into virtual reality, ultimately building Operator XR, now one of the world’s leading tactical training platforms for military and law enforcement. In this conversation, Wayne and Peta cover:
    • What 21 years in the SASR teaches you about leadership, resilience, and taking action under uncertainty
    • How two SAS soldiers founded iFly and built the highest-performing ASX IPO of 2013
    • The legal battle that stopped iFly’s expansion and forced a pivot to virtual reality
    • How Operator XR now serves around 95 US law enforcement agencies with immersive, data-driven tactical training
    • Why counter-drone training in VR is now one of the fastest-growing use cases for the platform
    • Keeping the engineering culture alive in Australia while scaling the business in the US
    GUEST LINKS
    • Wayne Jones LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wayne-jones-637aba58/
    • xReality Group: https://xrgroup.com.au
    Host Links:
    • Peta Ellis (Host): https://www.linkedin.com/in/petaellis/
    • BZV Website: https://beatenzone.vc

    Produced at our ⁠The Podcast Boss⁠ ⁠podcast studio in Brisbane
    Show More Show Less
    53 mins
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