Marcel "Otto" YON is a founding partner of Freedom Fund, a global early-stage def-tech investor.
Otto is one of the pioneers of defence venturing and startup-style disruption within NATO. He served as Special Advisor for Digital Innovation under two German Ministers of Defence and built the innovation and venturing unit of Bundeswehr. He also built defence venturing units in two other countries and advised several armed forces in their disruptive innovation strategy. Otto is also one of the leading experts in cultural transformation in the public sector and agile procurement.
Prior to joining the German ministry of defence, Otto was a serial-entrepreneur and AI-pioneer for 16 years. He built AI-companies in defence and healthcare, which he exited via stock markets at valuations of up to USD 1 Billion. Prior to becoming an entrepreneur, Otto served as executive director of a research institute in computer vision and advised on international mergers & acquisitions with a global investment bank.
Otto is a cyber and navy officer, currently serving as Head of Task Group Transformation to DEU Chief of Navy.
You can download the current program in PDF format or view it directly on our website.
DownloadFor a long time, Ukraine has been known for its significant human resources in IT, but the ongoing aggression has changed priorities, putting the development of defense technologies at the forefront. What used to be out of the spotlight has now become a leading area for the Ukrainian IT sector. The question is how Ukraine can use this potential to become a world leader in Defense Tech and what successes have already been achieved in this regard.
This panel discussion will highlight how Ukrainian companies, government agencies, and international partners could combine their efforts to create innovative defense solutions. We will discuss what has already been done to reinforce Ukraine's position on the global stage and what remains to be done to ensure that Ukraine can claim the role of a global leader in Defence Tech.