DefSecIntel has set ambitious goals: reaching a turnover of 100 million euros within three years and ensuring the protection of Europe’s entire external border, from Estonia to Greece, said Jaanus Tamm, CEO of the company. DefSecIntel is by the way one of the top five companies in the Exporter of the Year category at the Entrepreneurship Award competition.

Finding the office of DefSecIntel in the Tehnopol campus is even more challenging than the company’s name, which comes from the words defence, security, and intelligence. First, take the elevator, then navigate up and down stairs, through corridors, and around various turns until you finally see the office door with the company’s name.

In the office, the Head of Communications and Strategy, Getter Oper, guides us to the meeting room. A large television on the wall displays a presentation introducing the company. Shortly after, Jaanus Tamm, the CEO of DefSecIntel, joines us and explains in detail the company’s early years, current activities, and future plans without needing any slides.

“We spent two weeks living at the local border guard station, and at night, we could see the movement of KGB vehicles across the border through the surveillance tower’s night cameras.”
Jaanus Tamm, CEO of DefSecIntel

“I was one of the founders of Defendec,” Jaanus Tamm shares how he ended up in the defence industry. “Defendec produced and still produces battery-powered short-range detection cameras, which are used, for example, to monitor the Estonian border,” he continues.

“At some point, Defendec shifted its business direction away from the defence industry, but I wanted to continue developing defence solutions, as European security is important to me. So, I left and started thinking about new ideas, which eventually led me to my unique new product – a mobile surveillance system, towed by a vehicle, equipped with a drone station.”

According to Tamm, foreign angel investors supported his idea, and the Ministry of Defence’s development grant also provided significant momentum for developing the first prototype.

DefSecIntel helps border guards, police, and the military

“Initially, it was intended as a peacetime product, primarily for border guards and securing national parks, detecting and preventing forest fires,” Tamm notes. He adds that the company’s current products help border guards, police, and the military carry out physical landscape and coastal surveillance or intelligence gathering as simply and effectively as possible.

They have achieved this in several ways. First, through machine learning algorithms that quickly process images and videos in real time. Second, by integrating various technologies to provide the best possible outcome for the end user.

DefSecIntel’s best-selling product is the mobile and autonomous surveillance platform SurveilSPIRE. It can be attached to a standard SUV, transported to a suitable location, and set up quickly, sometimes in as little as half an hour. The platform features a mast over 20 meters high, equipped with camera systems that have a range of more than 20 kilometres. Additionally, drones can be launched from the platform to conduct surveillance or provide confirmation within a radius of several kilometres.

The company currently has three main products. In addition to SurveilSPIRE, there is CAIMAN, a surveillance and situational awareness system mounted on an SUV platform that offers a unique solution for rapid missions. The third product is EIRSHIELD, which provides short-range air defence and is equipped with an interceptor drone designed to detect and neutralise other drones, missiles, or flying objects.

The most essential component of all these devices is the AI-enhanced C2 software (Command & Control), developed and patented by DefSecIntel’s team. “AI technology provides direct advantages and makes our systems smart. AI-based applications are increasingly used in the defence sector, and we are proud to have been part of this from the beginning,” Tamm explains.

10,000 kilometres of European touring

According to Tamm, there was a lot of travelling and on-site product demonstrations in the early years, as both border security and defence end-users wanted to see and test the product themselves. “I think we covered over 10,000 kilometres in total,” he says.

“Austria, Romania, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland – we drove 1,000 kilometres and then took a break. Despite the strange equipment we were towing, the police never stopped us anywhere—they probably thought it was a fishing boat,” Jaanus Tamm recalls, laughing.

The device faced its first real test during the illegal migration crisis instigated by Belarus. “At first, the Lithuanian border guard was sceptical, wondering what this device was all about, but after we set it up (on the Lithuanian side, near the Belarusian border), it withstood even the opponent’s active jamming efforts and helped detect suspicious license plates across the border, which demonstrated its value.”

“The devices we originally designed for European border guards were sent to the Ukrainians and are now being used daily on the battlefield in Ukraine to monitor enemy activity.”
Jaanus Tamm, CEO of DefSecIntel

“We spent two weeks living at the local border guard station, and at night, we could see the movement of KGB vehicles across the border through the surveillance tower’s night cameras,” Tamm reminisces.

“We probably wouldn’t have gained a foothold in that area if it weren’t for the help of the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) and the Ministry of the Interior in establishing contacts, as such unique capability had never existed before. Everyone wanted to try it,” he adds.

The war in Ukraine brought a turning point

“State support has been a crucial part of our success. For example, the product development grant from the Estonian Business and Innovation Agency (EIS) helped us develop the product to a stage where we could start selling it,” notes Tamm. The defence sector is a highly specialised market, with only one client—the state—and there is a preference for domestic companies. The barrier to entry is very high, and the sales process is slow since governments want to test and see the solutions in action. At the same time, the development process is expensive.

“When we founded the company in 2018, our goal was to support European border guards, helping them to monitor borders more effectively,” Tamm explains. “Our products are large and complex; they can’t be built over a weekend. Development takes time. On average, it takes about three years for a product to be ready for use and reach the customer. Hardware development is time-consuming.”

Then, the war in Ukraine started. “Border guards halted all their purchases because the future was uncertain. Whether smart devices or a physical fence would be installed on the Estonian border—those were the questions European border guards were asking, even though before the war they had been ready to consider buying new devices,” says Tamm.

Then, Ukrainians called Tamm and said they needed “eyes, long-range eyes,” but all their money was going toward ammunition, so they asked if the Estonian government could help. “By that time, Estonia had already provided support in every other way, and we had to turn to external partners. Eventually, the Germans stepped in to help support the Ukrainians,” Tamm recalls.

“The devices we originally designed for European border guards were sent to the Ukrainians and are now being used daily on the battlefield in Ukraine to monitor enemy activity,” he adds.

Products rapid development 

When DefSecIntel started, most of its work was done by subcontractors. However, according to Tamm, the company found itself in a difficult position at one point—small vendors could no longer meet its needs, and for more prominent vendors, the company was a small client.

“When the first big and urgent orders started coming in, we began consolidating all the expertise in-house. Since software is our biggest competitive advantage, it made sense to bring developers and engineers into the company. External development was too slow and harder to control,” Tamm explains. Today, they handle everything in-house except for metalwork, and they even manage part of the production themselves.

“We now have over 80 employees in Estonia and more than 20 in Ukraine,” he continues.

DefSecIntel also has an office, factory, and local engineers in Ukraine, which allows them to quickly gather user feedback and adapt to the enemy’s tactics, speeding up product development. “We had to establish a local office to better support and adapt our products. For instance, in the beginning, communication systems were heavily jammed, so we had to find new ways to transmit data because the Russians were disrupting communication networks. This forced us to rethink our product development and contributed to innovation,” Tamm notes.

According to Tamm, product development feedback is crucial. “In Ukraine, we receive immediate user experience feedback, allowing us to develop products quickly, which gives us a competitive edge,” he says openly.

“For example, the Ukrainians wanted a solution that could be mounted on vehicles instead of a stationary surveillance system, allowing them to move while conducting surveillance and avoid enemy fire. This led to the creation of our second popular solution—Caiman,” he explains.

“Today, the Ukrainians develop in days, we develop in a week, and the rest of the world in years,” Tamm confidently states.

Focus on sales and marketing

“In our sector, customers want to touch and test the product. It’s not enough to send a link and say, check it out or watch a video,” says Tamm.

According to him, the Estonian government actively supports participation in trade fairs. “Thanks to the Estonian Business and Innovation Agency, we’ve attended numerous trade fairs because you need to be where your current and future clients are,” Tamm explains. At the beginning of February, DefSecIntel participated in the defence industry trade fair in Saudi Arabia, followed by the Eurosatory defence exhibition in France in June and the MSPO fair in Poland in early September. They also take part in smaller regional fairs.

GOOD TO KNOW
DefSecIntel Solutions OÜ
Established: 2018
Employees:  over 100 in Estonia and Ukraine
Revenue: over 30 million euros in 2023
In 2023 all of their production was exported
DefSecIntel currently produces dozens of surveillance platforms annually. In the coming years, the company envisions production growth from tens of units to hundreds of units per year and the launch of new products.
www.defsecintel.com

The company has experienced significant growth. In addition to having a large proportion of engineers, there is a strong emphasis on sales and marketing, according to Tamm. “Although the company initially focused on border guard needs, with the war in Ukraine shifting our focus, we are now also directing our attention towards border and internal security,” Tamm explains. “For example, the Poles are heavily investing in border security, so we are considering that market and actively seeking partners for joint ventures.”

“Our clear goal is to eventually provide surveillance and protection of the European external border from Estonia to Greece,” Tamm reveals. “We aim to achieve this by around 2027, and why not extend to Portugal from there.”

When asked which other countries DefSecIntel is considering, Tamm responds: “A maximum of 6-7 flight hours away, as this makes it possible to complete deals and provide user support if needed. That’s why we view the US market cautiously; it’s far, and entering it is extremely costly,” he explains. “We’re also looking towards North Africa, as there is a clear need there.”

Tamm adds that active cooperation will continue with NATO countries, including close collaboration with Germany and research and development activities with various large European companies. “We place a strong emphasis on reliability, and as a result, our products meet various standards, including ISO and NATO certifications, which builds trust. This foundation makes it easier to expand into other NATO countries,” he believes.

In the near term, the company plan to open branches in Poland, Germany, Romania, and possibly in a few other countries. “When we started in 2018, the goal was to reach a turnover of 100 million euros (over 30 million in 2023), which we aim to achieve by 2027,” Tamm is optimistic about the future.

“First, we want to become strong domestically and a champion in Estonia, then become the most preferred player in Europe in both surveillance and defence AI and then expand globally,” concludes DefSecIntel CEO Jaanus Tamm.

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