Podcast Summary

CyberWire Daily – T-Minus Space Daily Special Edition

Episode: Investing in the security tech market with NightDragon
Date: January 19, 2026
Host: Maria Ramazas
Guest: Dave DeWalt, CEO of NightDragon

Episode Overview

This episode features an in-depth discussion with Dave DeWalt, CEO of NightDragon, focusing on the intersection of investment, security technology, and the expanding domain of space. DeWalt explores NightDragon's philosophy on investing in security tech companies, with a particular focus on their support for Hawkeye 360, recent industry developments, and the unique cybersecurity challenges and opportunities emerging in space technology.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

NightDragon's Investment in Hawkeye 360

• Ongoing Partnership:

  • NightDragon has worked with Hawkeye 360 and CEO John Serafini for nearly five years, participating in almost every funding round, most recently co-leading their Series E.
  • “We've been honored to partner with John Serafini. He is rare leader in all of technology, quite frankly, and especially in space and security, national security.”
    – Dave DeWalt [03:35]

• Strategic Growth:

  • The current investment round is viewed as pivotal for Hawkeye’s crossing from growth company to a player preparing for public opportunities and acquisitions.
  • Acquired company ISA to sharpen signal processing capabilities, not just expand satellite infrastructure.
  • “Preparation for public opportunities and acquisitions... The company's got a real opportunity to drive value for its shareholders. But also, and maybe just as important, create a mission of securing our world.”
    – Dave DeWalt [03:35]

The Value and Power of Signal Intelligence (SIGINT)

• Hawkeye’s Core Tech:

  • Uses clusters of low Earth orbit satellites equipped with software-defined radios (SDRs) to capture and analyze RF signals globally.
  • Focused on signal processing with AI to recognize patterns of life, differentiating between various types of ground-based signals (from “dark” ships to GPS jammers).

• Efficacy and Global Significance:

  • “This company has really created an unbelievable database of patterns of life recognition... Hawkeye360 has very, very high efficacy, very, very low false positives, very strong patterns of life recognition.”
    – Dave DeWalt [05:42]
  • The platform is now a critical apparatus for SIGINT worldwide, adopted by many nation states, and positioned as vital infrastructure for both defense and peacekeeping.

NightDragon’s Broader Space and Security Tech Investment Approach

• Security Tech Across Five Domains:

  • NightDragon invests in solutions addressing air, maritime, land, space, and what DeWalt calls “the invisible domain” (cyber, AI, quantum).
  • “Space meets cyber, cyber meets supply chain... You tip and cue these SIGINT platforms to work together across all domains.”
    – Dave DeWalt [08:10]

• Space as a Strategic Frontier:

  • Emphasizes the geopolitical and economic importance of securing space, likening the current era to a new “race to the Moon.”
  • “Whoever controls space and can secure space really is going to have an incredible economic advantage as well as a national security advantage.”
    – Dave DeWalt [08:10]

Portfolio Integration and Cross-Domain Collaboration

• Other Portfolio Examples:

  • Capella Space: Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) used for imaging in adverse conditions, especially useful during the Russia–Ukraine conflict.
  • Saronic: Maritime and swarm drones providing signal capabilities and mutual tip-and-cue systems with space assets.

• Unified Tech Vision:

  • NightDragon encourages collaboration and interoperability between portfolio companies, providing integrated solutions across domains.
  • “What can we do to bring all our portfolio companies together, have them work together, really augmenting SIGINT platforms around the world and response in a way that enables the latest technology?”
    – Dave DeWalt [12:35]

The New Frontier: Cybersecurity in Space

• Unique Challenges:

  • Space assets face classic cyber risks — hacktivism, crime, espionage, terrorism, and outright warfare — now targeting satellites and infrastructure.
  • “I call it silicon the satellite. How do we think about securing silicon the satellite? And if we don't think about silicon the satellite for security, bad things can happen.”
    – Dave DeWalt [15:32]
  • There's a dual threat: space assets both being hacked and turned into platforms to launch cyber attacks.

• Designing Security In:

  • A call for native, resilient security starting at the hardware level for all new space assets.
  • The convergence of “invisible” cyber/AI/quantum threats with physical domains requires new defense models.

Looking Ahead: 2026 and the Call for Collaboration

• The Year of Major Transitions:
  • DeWalt predicts 2026 will be a “crossing the chasm” year for space—pivotal for security, politics, economics, and military interests.
  • “It takes a village. We need public-private partnerships... Everybody’s gotta work together if we’re gonna secure this domain and create economic advantages for everybody on the planet.”
    – Dave DeWalt [17:38]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Hawkeye 360 mission:

  • “Create a mission of securing our world... helping to create a better world that we live in.”
    — Dave DeWalt [03:35]

• On the future of space tech:

  • “Whoever controls space and can secure space really is going to have an incredible economic advantage as well as a national security advantage.”
    — Dave DeWalt [08:10]

• On cybersecurity in space:

  • “Have we built the satellites, the communications, the infrastructure so it can't be hacked? ... If we don't think about silicon the satellite for security, bad things can happen.”
    — Dave DeWalt [15:32]

• On partnership and industry-wide vigilance:

  • “It takes a village. Right? We need public private partnerships. ... Everybody's gotta work together if we're gonna secure this domain and create economic advantages for everybody on the planet.”
    — Dave DeWalt [17:38]

Key Timestamps

• [03:35] – NightDragon’s partnership and investment vision for Hawkeye 360
• [05:42] – The importance and efficacy of SIGINT and signal processing in space
• [08:10] – NightDragon’s broader investment thesis in security tech and space as a strategic asset
• [12:35] – Portfolio integration: Capella Space, Saronic, cross-domain innovation
• [15:32] – The unique threats and opportunities at the intersection of space and cybersecurity
• [17:38] – 2026 as a milestone, the need for public-private partnerships

Episode Tone

The conversation is forward-looking, collaborative, and mission-driven. DeWalt’s enthusiasm for technological innovation and integrated security solutions shines through, while Maria Ramazas keeps the dialogue focused, technical, and probing. Both express optimism and a sense of shared responsibility for the challenges ahead in space security and technology.