TENTANG EPISODE INI
Steven Simoni, co-founder of Allen Control Systems (ACS), sits down with Inspired Capital's Alexa von Tobel and Charlotte Ross to share how ACS went from a pre-seed bet to shipping Bullfrog, its autonomous counter-drone weapon station, onto the battlefield in about three years.
He breaks down how modern war has shifted to long-range standoff and cheap drones, why the U.S. still relies on expensive interceptors like the Patriot, and how defense budgets actually reach startups.
Stevem also lays out his plan to turn ACS into an air defense prime, shares what he thinks is overhyped and underhyped in defense tech, and explains why he's still optimistic about the next 20 years.
🔗 Steven Simoni
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevensimoni
• X: https://x.com/StevenSimoni
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevensimoni/
• Website: https://stevensimoni.com/
• Steven’s Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@thedroneultimatum
Allen Control Systems (ACS):
• Website: https://www.allencontrolsystems.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/allen-control-systems
• X: https://x.com/allencontrol
🎙️ Inspired Capital
• Website: https://www.inspiredcapital.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/inspired-capital-partners/
• X: https://x.com/InspiredCap
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inspiredcapital/
• Substack: https://alexavontobel.substack.com/
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
0:40 Meet Steve Simoni
2:15 From small-town Pennsylvania to the Navy
2:53 How Steve met his co-founders
4:03 What ACS is building
4:50 From restaurant tech to defense tech
5:48 How Bullfrog works
7:42 How modern war is really fought
11:27 How defense budgets reach startups
13:41 Why defense is a hits business
15:24 What Steve would build today
17:17 The first drone war and the lessons the U.S. missed
20:04 "We're in World War III"
22:14 Where China stands
24:30 Why the seas matter: Strait of Hormuz and Taiwan
26:22 ACS's plan to become an air defense prime
28:44 Why the military wants lasers
29:35 The next five years for ACS
30:44 Building teams in defense
32:30 What war looks like in 2035
35:05 Cyber warfare and AI
36:56 The weight of building in defense
39:20 Is defense tech overhyped?
40:21 Why you now need a working prototype
42:04 Overhyped vs. underhyped: hypersonics and interceptors
43:52 Why Steve is optimistic about America
45:29 Steve's favorite NYC restaurant
