Robots, Rockets & Physical AI: Australia’s Hard Tech Boom | HEO, Alloy, Vexev, Zabidou, Antares

5 founders. Building with atoms and bits. Right at the heart of Australia. From robots that scan the human body to robots watching over satellites in space, one goal unites them: making Australia a better place to start a business. Season 2 of Oversubscribed opens at BrewDog Eveleigh in Sydney with Will Crowe of HEO, Joe Harris of Alloy, John Carroll of Vexev, Cibby Pulikkaseril of Zabidou, and Lachlan Bramble of Antares. Between them, they're building satellites, robotic ultrasound machines, factory vision systems, launch infrastructure, and the data platform underneath all of it. The conversation covers what's actually happening in robotics and space in 2026: why humanoid robots are further off than the headlines suggest, how HEO bought a satellite that was already in orbit instead of building one from scratch, why capital efficiency has become a competitive edge against better-funded US rivals, and how Australia's mineral wealth could make it a manufacturing base for the rest of the world. They also get into hiring, the talent war in US aerospace, and why none of them think being based in Sydney is a disadvantage. Time Stamps 00:00 Trailer 01:08 Welcome to Season 2 at BrewDog Everleigh, Sydney 02:21 Founder Intros: HEO, Alloy, Vexev, Zabidou & Antares 05:53 Why Humanoid Robots Are Still 5+ Years Away 07:17 Sponsor: Mighty Partners 07:50 HEO's Natural Language Satellite Tasking & "Vibe Tasking" Robots 12:35 Hiring in Deep Tech: Why PhDs Aren't a Requirement Anymore 14:27 Finding & Training Young Talent in Robotics 20:52 US vs Australia: Aerospace Talent, Poaching & the Golden Dome Effect 27:50 Why US Investors Now Believe in Australian Hard Tech 30:54 "Competition Is for Losers": Building What No One Else Has 31:25 Sponsor: Vanta 32:43 How Fundraising for Hard Tech Has Changed in 5 Years 41:05 Zabidoo's Brutal Pre-Seed Deadline & Capital Efficiency 42:25 Lachlan's Antares Raise & Finding the Right Investors 45:00 Micro-Factories & Reindustrialising Regional Australia 50:14 Sponsor: TEN13 51:38 Robots That Don't Look Like Robots: Reindustrialising Australia 54:56 The Future of Health: Automating Diagnosis in Remote Australia 1:02:46 Breaking the SpaceX Monopoly: Satellites, Asteroids & In-Space Manufacturing 1:08:02 How HEO Buys Satellites Already in Orbit 1:10:11 Bringing the Future Together: The Full Supply Chain 1:14:23 The Robotics Boom: 10x More Companies & the Ethics of Robot Safety 1:19:12 Why You Should Work at HEO, Alloy, Vexev, Zabidou & Antares 1:21:58 Closing Thoughts & a Live Deal on the Podcast Oversubscribed is proudly supported by our sponsors Vanta 🦙 and Mighty Partners 💪 Vanta is the all-in-one solution for startups to become compliant quickly and build a security foundation with ease. Startup customers get $1000 off Vanta at https://www.vanta.com/oversubscribed ___ Mighty Partners is Australia's leading venture debt provider for high-growth software companies. Venture debt gives founders access to growth capital while preserving equity, extending runway and creating greater flexibility between funding rounds. It's designed for ambitious technology businesses that want to keep building without giving away more ownership than necessary. Trusted by companies including BuildPass, Deckard Technologies and Pearler, Mighty helps founders scale on their own terms. Learn more about venture debt and how it can support your next stage of growth at https://www.mightypartners.com.au/ove... The Day One Network Oversubscribed is part of Day One, the podcast network dedicated to founders, operators & investors. Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or financial product. Brendan Hill is an investor in HEO Space, Alloy Robotics, Vexev, Zabidou and NextGen Ventures. About the Host: Brendan Hill is a Venture Partner at TEN13 and an angel investor in Australia’s fastest-growing startups, including Everlab, Heidi Health, Relevance AI, Alloy, Baseten and Instant. If you are interested in finding out more about angel investing, connect with Brendan on LinkedIn:   / itsbrendanhill