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Dale Swartz
Partner at McKinsey & Company
Dale Swartz is a Partner at McKinsey & Company, based in their Silicon Valley office. He specializes in several key areas, including Aerospace & Defense, Semiconductors, and Strategy & Corporate Finance. His work focuses on growth and innovation within strategic industries, particularly those undergoing significant global changes, such as defense, space, and high technology sectors.12
Professional Background
Dale has established himself as a leader in the field by founding McKinsey’s Defense Tech & Innovation Hub, which collaborates with investors and emerging companies to foster the development of disruptive dual-use ventures. His extensive experience includes leading strategic engagements for large defense and technology firms, supporting startups in their business-building efforts, and conducting transaction diligence and market analyses for investors.13
Recent Client Work
Some notable projects Dale has worked on include:
- Developing go-to-market strategies for defense startups.
- Crafting technology strategies for major U.S. defense firms.
- Conducting corporate strategy consultations for global national security companies.
- Engaging in geo-economic scenario planning for semiconductor and tech firms.1
Previous Experience
Before joining McKinsey, Dale held various roles related to national security within government and public policy institutions in Washington, D.C. This background has greatly informed his strategic approach to consulting in high-stakes environments.14
Dale Swartz is also active on LinkedIn, where he shares insights related to his work and interests in the defense and technology sectors.4
Highlights
Pleased to share the latest in our #defensetech #defenseinnovation series of articles, informed by our work with national security tech startups, disruptors, and innovators over the last few years. This one is all about what it takes to scale defense innovation.
Much has been written about the explosion of new ventures (more than 800 seed rounds since 2018) and private market funding (more than $10B annually). But there are challenges to scaling new ventures, and we see a common set of five strategies that separate the winners from the rest. More analysis and data linked below.
Will 2024 be the year that we see significant scaling of the defense tech ecosystem? Welcome your thoughts.
Jesse Klempner Christian Rodriguez
Had a fantastic time speaking at the Munich Security Breakfast for startups and investors this morning. Enjoyed the discussion with Klaus Hommels, Karen Florschütz, Philip Krämer and Nadine Chochoiek. Thank you to the organizing team Community for Defence Innovation e.V. for having me, and for the opportunity to share some learnings from our work on defense innovation in the US.
Here are a few of my takeaways from the event:
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Europe's defense startup and disruptor ecosystem may be less mature than the US, but there is a lot of dynamism and creativity. Conflicts in Ukraine and Israel have forged some important tech ventures (that could be scaled in the US as well).
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There is room to raise the aspiration for defense tech in Europe: be bolder, move faster. The capability needs are there, and business as usual won’t cut it. While investing in defense may move slower and offer atypical return profiles in many cases, scaling fast will require a disruptors mindset: big visions from founders and the resources to scale. LPs could play a greater role in funneling money to defense innovation in Europe for the likely larger future series B & C checks that will be required to drive scale in the ecosystem.
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Partnerships matter. Building out the ecosystem of defense industrial base partners is likely part of tooling your go-to-market for government contracts and may lead to higher returns for your investors. This is particularly true for early stage ventures that may struggle to find a clear near term pathway to being a prime on a program of record.
#msc2024
