Fear no evil
We work with VCs, venture builders, start-ups and scale-ups across the UK and allied nations.
The objective never changes: Get the best innovations from the technological frontier, across the Valley of Death, and up onto the front lines of Defence and National Security.
Think of us as a pair of DefTech sherpas. It’s your expedition; we’re there to help you understand and navigate the landscape.
We’ll work with you to plan your journey, gear up, and get your message – alongside your tech – living rent-free in the minds of MoD.
Maximum impact, minimum risk, zero disruption
Founders, sales directors and marketing leads are typically looking to achieve the same thing: to accelerate commercial traction without diverting resources from core engineering, product development and programme delivery.
Engagements usually play out in one (or more) of the following three ways.
The Line – Planning
Before any serious explorer sets off, they choose their line. We’ll help you orient yourself, identify the key stakeholders and gatekeepers, and plan the most efficient routes across the Valley.
What it includes
- Narrative development
- Brand identity
- Customer discovery
- Stakeholder mapping
- Competitor analysis
- Positioning
- Competitive win themes
Having worked with over 40 DefTech and dual-use start-ups, we can also advise on some of the most common conundrums around business operations, security clearances, regulatory approval, and so on.
What it costs
Projects are scoped and prices agreed up front. Typically from around £2,500.
Who it’s for
Founders and senior operators at early-stage DefTech start-ups, and SMEs new to defence.
The Kit – Preparation
You’re going to want to travel light, with the right kit (and only the right kit). We’ll co-develop the foundational assets you’ll rely on: the clear, relevant, repeatable narrative, and the messaging tailored to every decision maker and technical evaluator.
What it includes
- Core messaging
- Web copy & content
- Sales & raise decks
- Case studies & user briefs
- Technical demos
- Customer briefings & supporting documentation
- Capability profiles & product sheets
What it costs
Fixed-price, priced per phase or bundled by Statement of Work. Typical engagements range from £7,000 to £12,000.
Who it’s for
Founders and marketing leads at start-ups and scale-ups; venture builders and VCs looking to de-risk their investments by giving their portfolio companies the support they need without adding headcount.
The Climb – Execution
When the deadline looms – a launch, an event, a campaign, a funding round – we’re on hand to make an immediate impact without disrupting operations.
What it includes
- Concept development & creative direction
- Landing pages
- Think-pieces
- Keynote speeches
- Technical blogs & eBooks
- Demo design
- Print & digital sales collateral
- Fixed term bid & MarComms support
What it costs
Fees based on day rate of £675.
Who it’s for
Founders, commercial directors and marketing leads who need an experienced pair of hands in a pinch.
“We can neither confirm nor deny…”
We’ve worked with founders and commercial teams at over 40 start-ups, scale-ups and Primes.
We can’t always say who they are (for obvious reasons) but we can say what they do, who they do it for, and why.
we work with developers at the frontiers of
- ai & machine learning
- modelling & simulation, digital twins & multi-domain synthetics
- extended realities
- systems integration & software platform development
- software-enabled hardware and armour
- autonomous & uncrewed systems
- data collection, storage, processing & analysis
we help clients engage commercial partners as well as
> government departments
> defence organisations
> national security agencies
across the UK, the US & the wider NATO alliance
Our clients’ technologies and expertise promise to transform
- planning & policy design
- intelligence reporting, information analysis & research
- public- & private-sector decision support
- infrastructure planning & management
- multi-domain operational planning & mission rehearsal
- c5isr
- synthetic & blended l/v/c training
- sustainment & in-service support
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Valley of Death
If you’re trying to get your head around how MOD innovation procurement works, who the key players are and how it’s changing, then we have something for the headache.
An Improbable partnership
We’ve been in defence since 2018, having worked together at Improbable Defence (now Skyral). We launched inink in early 2023.
Between us, we bring close to four decades’ experience across creative direction, copywriting, brand development, sales enablement and commercial marketing.
Gabi spent over 10 years leading in-house creative teams to plan, brand and produce compelling content across a range of channels and audiences. She caught the bug for more mission-driven work at Improbable, which brought her closer to the real-world impact of today’s most transformative tech. When she’s not writing copy, she’s thinking strategy – usually while on a long walk around London or in the Oxfordshire countryside.
Gabi Brooks
Before a four-year tour with Improbable Defence, James spent more than a decade working for a variety of SMEs, NGOs and global brands including the World Economic Forum, the United Nations and the UNDP. He specialises in copywriting, creative direction and brand development, and gets much of his thinking done on the train between Hereford and London.
James Pryor
Tell us what you’re trying to achieve and what you’ve got planned. Ask us whatever you like. (This would be the time to let us know who your main competitors are so we can surface any potential conflicts of interest.)
If it looks like we might be able to help, we’ll get the NDAs sorted; there are things that our clients let us show privately that we can’t share publicly.