Defence Financing Summit
Harnessing private capital to enhance sovereign defence capability
18 February 2026
Hyatt Hotel, Canberra
Rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific are driving increased Defence spending, but mounting fiscal pressures at home raise a critical question: can government funding alone deliver the capability Australia needs?
Interest in leveraging private capital for Defence is growing — but what are the roadblocks? Where do the risks lie? And how can the Federal Government help position Defence as a viable and attractive asset class?
The ADM Defence Financing Summit, taking place on 18 February in Canberra, will bring together leaders from Government, the investment sector, Defence, and industry to examine the opportunities, challenges, and policy levers required to enable private capital investment in Australia’s Defence capability.
New for 2026! An Unprecedented Opportunity – Four co-located events in one place!
The ADM Defence Financing Summit will be co-located with the 23rd ADM Congress, 2nd ADM AUKUS Pillar II Summit, and the 7th ADM Space Summit. This unique convergence of events gives you exclusive access to three powerhouse industry gatherings with just one registration. It’s the ultimate opportunity to engage with key decision-makers, industry experts, and thought leaders across defence, space, and international collaboration.
And that’s not all – we’ve got special rates for SMEs and academia, ensuring everyone can join in on the action. Department of Defence/ADF attend for free – see details below.
Get in early! The first 300 delegates to register will receive a complimentary seat at the Official ADM Congress Dinner, valued at $350 + GST. Don’t miss out on this exclusive chance to network, dine, and discuss the future of defence and space.
Speakers
The Hon Pat Conroy MP
Minister for Defence Industry
Tim Haden
Director – Origination, Australian Business Growth Fund
Brad Gosling
Associate Director, Export Finance Australia
Adam Gilmour
Chief Executive Officer, Gilmour Space Technologies
Georgia King-Siem
Partner – R&D Incentives and Grants, Enterprise, KPMG Australia
Michael Page
Director – Investments, National Reconstruction Fund Corporation
Sean Thomas
Managing Director,
KVG Ventures
Oleg Vornik
CEO & Managing Director,
Droneshield
Chris Quirk
Investor, Deeptech VC & Angel Investor
Sponsors
Platinum Sponsor
Welcome Reception Sponsor
Afternoon Tea Sponsor
Gala Dinner Sponsor
Lanyard Sponsor
Lunch Sponsor
Coffee Cart Sponsor
Charity Partner
AGENDA | 18 February 2026
08:55
Opening Remarks from the Chair
Guy Boekenstein, Senior Associate, Cognoscenti Group
09:00
An Overview of the Private Capital Market for Defence and Adjacent Sectors
- Key players across the spectrum of fund strategies and cheque sizes
- What private investors are looking for from defence companies
- How growth stage capital fits into the ecosystem, using ABGF’s model as an example alongside other alternative funding sources
- Current trends we’re seeing across AUKUS related opportunities, dual use technology, and the broader investment environment
Tim Haden, Director – Origination, Australian Business Growth Fund
09:30
The National Reconstruction Fund: Powering Australia’s Defence Industrial Capability
- Strategic investment priorities within Australia’s $15 billion NRF framework, focusing on sovereign defence manufacturing capabilities and critical technologies as demonstrated through investments like Vault Cloud
- Investment criteria and target profile for defence businesses, emphasizing companies developing products primarily for defence applications and how the NRF evaluates both commercial viability and national security considerations
- Financial structuring approach balancing equity and debt instruments across the defence sector, with insights into the application process, assessment criteria, and typical investment structures for different business stages
Michael Page, Director – Investments, National Reconstruction Fund Corporation
10:00
EFA’s role and financing capabilities to support the defence sector
- Overview of EFA and defence mandate, including Defence Export Facility
- EFA product offerings for defence sector
- Case studies of defence companies EFA has supported
Brad Gosling, Associate Director, Export Finance Australia
10:30
Morning Tea and Networking Break
11:00
IN CONVERSATION | From Start-Up to Industry Leader
- DroneShield’s journey from zero to a $4bn company in 10 years
Oleg Vornik, Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, DroneShield
11:25
MINISTERIAL ADDRESS |
The Hon Pat Conroy MP, Minister for Defence Industry
11:35
FIRESIDE CHAT |
The Hon Pat Conroy MP, Minister for Defence Industry
Ewen Levick, Publisher, Australian Defence Magazine
12:00
The Role of Public and Private Capital in Driving Growth in the Space Sector
- Accessing Capital: Lessons learned from a record-breaking funding round
- The impact of large investment on innovation, infrastructure and workforce development
- Attracting and sustaining further investment in the space sector
Adam Gilmour, Chief Executive Officer, Gilmour Space Technologies
12:40
Lunch
13:45
Accelerating Defence Contracting: Harnessing Government and Private Capital Investment
- Streamlining procurement processes
- Leveraging private capital
- Ensuring accountability in rapid contracting
14:15
Private Capital Investment in Dual-Use and Defence Orientated Infrastructure
- Strategic investment approaches for critical defence infrastructure with commercial applications
- Risk mitigation for long-term capital deployment
- Analysis of successful US models
Sean Thomas, Managing Director, KVG Ventures
14:45
PANEL | Venture Capital in Defence: Unlocking Innovation and Growth
- How can venture capitalists identify and support high potential start-ups
- Overcoming risk and barries to entry for venture capitalists
- Emerging trends and opportunities in defence technology investment
Chris Quirk, Investor, Deeptech VC & Angel Investor
15:30
Afternoon Tea & Networking Break
16:00
R&D Incentives and Government Programs to Support Innovation
- Navigating the defence innovation eco-system
- Maximising funding streams to create sustainable R&D
- Creating effective pathways to commercialisation
Georgia King-Siem, Partner – R&D Incentives and Grants, Enterprise, KPMG Australia
16:25
PANEL | The Path Forward for Australia’s Defence Financing
- The growing importance of private investment to supplement government budgets
- Strategies to make defence an attractive proposition for private investors
- Lessons learned from international experiences
17:05
Closing Remarks from the Chair
Pricing
Conference registration include includes access to:
- All four co-located conferences
- ADM Congress
- ADM Space Summit
- ADM Pillar II Conference
- ADM Defence Financing Summit
- Welcome Reception
- Post Conference Networking Drinks
- ADM Congress Charity Dinner *
*First 300 delegates get a FREE seat at the ADM Congress Dinner
Special rates:
- SME is defined as fewer than 200 global employees
- Micro SME is defined as fewer than 50 global employees
- Department of Defence / ADF attend the conference free. Please note this does not include a seat at the Charity Dinner. Simply register for the ADF/Dept Defence pass by emailing [email protected] and ensure you use your business email address.
| Packages | Full Rate |
| Conference pass – Standard Industry Rate | $3,095 + GST |
| Conference pass – SME, Govt & Academia Rate | $2,095 + GST |
| Conference pass – Micro SME Rate | $1,695 + GST |
| Additional Charity Dinner | $350 + GST |
| Charity Dinner – Table of 10 | $3,300 + GST |
| Charity Dinner – ADF & Dept Defence ONLY | $200 + GST |
Venue
Hyatt Hotel, Canberra
120 Commonwealth Ave
Canberra ACT 2600
(02) 6270 1234
Book accommodation with HotelMaps
To access the best available rate, book here.
Event Code of Conduct
We want everyone who comes to our events to have a great experience. This code explains our expectations and rules, which includes general good practice behaviour, and how to report anything witnessed or experienced that goes against them. Read our Event Code of Conduct here.