Blab Tech
Plug and Play Teams with Thales to Expand Deep-Tech Startups via Trust My Tech
In a move that could reshape the defense‑tech ecosystem, Plug and Play Tech Center and French defense‑electronics giant Thales announced a strategic partnership on 15 July 2026. The alliance will embed Plug and Play’s Innovation Framework inside Thales’ Trust My Tech (TMT) open‑innovation program, aiming to sharpen Thales’ scouting, evaluation and collaboration with frontier‑technology startups.
Thales, headquartered in Paris and active in more than 68 countries, supplies aerospace, defense and cybersecurity solutions worldwide. Its Trust My Tech program, launched in 2025, connects startups, scale‑ups and software editors with Thales’ expertise, infrastructure and customer base. By adding Plug and Play’s structured engagement model, the partnership expands the program’s reach and depth.
Based in Sunnyvale, California, Plug and Play is a global venture‑capital and accelerator network that has run over 900 startup programs worldwide. Its Innovation Framework blends strategic planning, organizational readiness and a phased startup engagement process. Applying this framework, Plug and Play will help Thales spot high‑potential startups across deep‑tech sectors such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital identity, quantum technologies, fintech, smart cities and regulatory technology.
“Partnering with Plug and Play will let us deploy trusted external technologies faster and broaden our engagement with leading deep‑tech innovators,” said Marine Martinez, Global Program Lead for Trust My Tech at Thales. Jupe Tan, Plug and Play’s APAC managing partner, added, “Combining Thales’ global reach with our startup ecosystem will help emerging companies accelerate growth and commercialization.”
The first roll‑out will occur at TMT Singapore, which will serve as the APAC hub for the partnership. Singapore will act as a launchpad for wider adoption across Thales’ global innovation network. Selected startups will gain access to Thales’ business units for proof‑of‑concept development, pilot projects and potential commercial deployments, providing real‑world validation and pathways to international markets.
The tie‑up builds on Thales’ existing open‑innovation initiatives. In May 2026, Thales announced that its Trust My Tech program would support Singapore startups through a collaboration with the Economic Development Board’s Corporate Venture Launchpad. The new partnership adds a structured framework for startup engagement, deepening that effort.
Industry observers note that the collaboration aligns with a broader trend of defense and aerospace firms tapping deep‑tech talent. By leveraging Plug and Play’s global network, Thales can access a wider pool of early‑stage companies developing technologies with high scientific or engineering complexity.
No specific startups have been named yet. The partnership is expected to begin recruiting candidates in the coming months, with the first cohort slated to enter the Singapore hub by late 2026. Thales and Plug and Play have not disclosed a timeline for rolling out the framework in other regions.
In sum, the Plug and Play–Thales partnership formalizes a joint effort to combine a global venture‑capital accelerator with a leading defense‑electronics company’s open‑innovation program. The collaboration seeks to accelerate the commercialization of deep‑tech solutions, give startups access to Thales’ global customer base, and strengthen Thales’ own innovation capacity.
Thales, headquartered in Paris and active in more than 68 countries, supplies aerospace, defense and cybersecurity solutions worldwide. Its Trust My Tech program, launched in 2025, connects startups, scale‑ups and software editors with Thales’ expertise, infrastructure and customer base. By adding Plug and Play’s structured engagement model, the partnership expands the program’s reach and depth.
Based in Sunnyvale, California, Plug and Play is a global venture‑capital and accelerator network that has run over 900 startup programs worldwide. Its Innovation Framework blends strategic planning, organizational readiness and a phased startup engagement process. Applying this framework, Plug and Play will help Thales spot high‑potential startups across deep‑tech sectors such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital identity, quantum technologies, fintech, smart cities and regulatory technology.
“Partnering with Plug and Play will let us deploy trusted external technologies faster and broaden our engagement with leading deep‑tech innovators,” said Marine Martinez, Global Program Lead for Trust My Tech at Thales. Jupe Tan, Plug and Play’s APAC managing partner, added, “Combining Thales’ global reach with our startup ecosystem will help emerging companies accelerate growth and commercialization.”
The first roll‑out will occur at TMT Singapore, which will serve as the APAC hub for the partnership. Singapore will act as a launchpad for wider adoption across Thales’ global innovation network. Selected startups will gain access to Thales’ business units for proof‑of‑concept development, pilot projects and potential commercial deployments, providing real‑world validation and pathways to international markets.
The tie‑up builds on Thales’ existing open‑innovation initiatives. In May 2026, Thales announced that its Trust My Tech program would support Singapore startups through a collaboration with the Economic Development Board’s Corporate Venture Launchpad. The new partnership adds a structured framework for startup engagement, deepening that effort.
Industry observers note that the collaboration aligns with a broader trend of defense and aerospace firms tapping deep‑tech talent. By leveraging Plug and Play’s global network, Thales can access a wider pool of early‑stage companies developing technologies with high scientific or engineering complexity.
No specific startups have been named yet. The partnership is expected to begin recruiting candidates in the coming months, with the first cohort slated to enter the Singapore hub by late 2026. Thales and Plug and Play have not disclosed a timeline for rolling out the framework in other regions.
In sum, the Plug and Play–Thales partnership formalizes a joint effort to combine a global venture‑capital accelerator with a leading defense‑electronics company’s open‑innovation program. The collaboration seeks to accelerate the commercialization of deep‑tech solutions, give startups access to Thales’ global customer base, and strengthen Thales’ own innovation capacity.
