At 23, many people are still polishing up their CVs or finishing their studies. Vijay Pathak, on the other hand, is packing his bags for San Francisco after convincing one of Silicon Valley\u2019s most prestigious venture capital funds to invest in his startup. <\/p>\n
His ambition is to create a secure communication tool for military companies and governments – a type of \u2018Slack for defence\u2019 – and modernise the way allied countries cooperate on sensitive military matters.<\/p>\n
A citizen of Luxembourg, Pathak grew up in Capellen, just a few kilometres from the Nato<\/a> logisitics base. That proximity was anecdotal at the time, but today resonates strangely with his career. \u201cAt the time, I would never have imagined that I would one day set up a company developing software for use by Nato and its member states,\u201d he said in an interview.<\/p>\n A rare feat for a non-British national: Pathak was appointed head of section as a cadet in Britain\u2019s Royal Air Force\u00a0\u00a9 Photo credit: Vijay Pathak<\/p>\n A citizen of Luxembourg, Pathak grew up in Capellen, just a few kilometres from the Nato<\/a> logisitics base. That proximity was anecdotal at the time, but today resonates strangely with his career. \u201cAt the time, I would never have imagined that I would one day set up a company developing software for use by Nato and its member states,\u201d he said in an interview.<\/p>\n Educated at the European School, he was immersed in an international environment from an early age. It was a seminal experience that forged his attachment to Europe and to cooperation between countries. Alongside his studies, he led a busy life as a student: football with FC Mamer 32, chess club at Bonnevoie, involvement in school life.<\/p>\n Pathak\u2019s academic career then took him far from the Grand Duchy. First to the UK, where he attended high school at Winchester College. \u201cThat\u2019s where I had my first, more direct contact with the military world,\u201d he recalled. \u201cI was a cadet in the British Royal Air Force and was eventually appointed head of section, which was quite unusual for a non-British student.\u201d<\/p>\n From Yale to Oxford<\/p>\n In his view, this experience gave him his first exposure to the workings of military structures and sparked an interest that he would later pursue, notably at Yale and then Oxford universities. At Yale, he studied politics and economics, with a particular interest in transatlantic relations and the economy of the European Union, the subject of his dissertation.<\/p>\n Pathak meeting Fran\u00e7ois Hollande, the former French president, at Oxford University\u00a0\u00a9 Photo credit: Oxford Union Society <\/p>\n In his view, this experience gave him his first exposure to the workings of military structures and sparked an interest that he would later pursue, notably at Yale and then Oxford universities. At Yale, he studied politics and economics, with a particular interest in transatlantic relations and the economy of the European Union, the subject of his dissertation.<\/p>\n At Oxford, he began a doctorate in engineering, specialising in artificial intelligence. He also founded the Oxford Luxembourg Society. <\/p>\n \u201cOxford was an extremely stimulating intellectual environment, thanks in particular to the constant exchanges with researchers, entrepreneurs and public decision-makers,\u201d Pathak said. His academic involvement has even enabled him to meet prominent political figures such as the former French president Fran\u00e7ois Hollande.<\/p>\n At the same time, Pathak twice won the Nato Youth Award and was invited to speak at a Nato conference on the challenges of AI<\/a> and defence<\/a>. Gradually, the young man became convinced that technology could, and should, play a central role in international security.<\/p>\n He has also had a long-standing interest in entrpreneurship. \u201cWhen I was younger, I was already creating websites for small businesses, and I\u2019ve tried to launch a number of projects over the years. Some worked briefly, others not at all, but all of them were formative,\u201d he said with a smile.<\/p>\n Vijay Pathak speaking at a Nato conference\u00a0\u00a9 Photo credit: Vijay Pathak<\/p>\n He has also had a long-standing interest in entrpreneurship. \u201cWhen I was younger, I was already creating websites for small businesses, and I\u2019ve tried to launch a number of projects over the years. Some worked briefly, others not at all, but all of them were formative,\u201d he said with a smile.<\/p>\n All of the ingredients were there for a brilliant career. All that was missing was the spark. And then, something happened which led to the idea for his start-up, Coalition Systems. <\/p>\n In the United States, the so-called \u2018Signalgate<\/a>\u2019 scandal broke in March 2025. Military and government officials exchanged ultra-sensitive military plans via a public messaging system, before a journalist was mistakenly included in the discussion.<\/p>\n For Pathak, the shock was real. He discovered that – despite colossal investments in weaponry – communication and collaboration between allied forces still often relied on unsuitable and even dangerous tools. <\/p>\n \u201cThis struck me as deeply inconsistent: we invest billions in highly sophisticated systems, but fundamental elements such as secure coordination remain technologically under-equipped,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u2018Slack for defence\u2019<\/p>\n Coalition Systems\u2019 plan is to develop a secure collaboration platform, designed from the outset for military and government needs. The idea is simple: a tool as intuitive as the messaging platform Slack, but with a level of military security. From there, it is possible to build a complete suite of tech products aimed at closing critical, but often underestimated, vulnerabilities in defence infrastructure.<\/p>\n What makes the start-up unique is the extensive integration of artificial intelligence, he said. \u201cWe are developing functions that are unprecedented in the military field, such as optimising shared resources, anticipating logistical bottlenecks and improving coordination between allied units and countries. The aim is never to replace humans, but to provide them with better decision-making tools,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Vijay Pathak at the CES technology conference in Las Vegas, one of the industry\u2019s best-known events\u00a0\u00a9 Photo credit: Vijay Pathak<\/p>\n What makes the start-up unique is the extensive integration of artificial intelligence, he said. \u201cWe are developing functions that are unprecedented in the military field, such as optimising shared resources, anticipating logistical bottlenecks and improving coordination between allied units and countries. The aim is never to replace humans, but to provide them with better decision-making tools,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n He managed to raise pre-seed funding for Coalition Systems from Andreessen Horowitz\u2019s a16z Speedrun fund, one of the most prestigious venture capital outfits in Silicon Valley. <\/p>\n \u201cThis is a major milestone for Coalition Systems. Andreessen Horowitz is one of the most influential venture capital funds in the world, and their decision to invest in our project is a strong validation of our vision,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n In practical terms, the funding will give the project a major boost. \u201cWe\u2019re already in discussions with some of the best funds in the sector, who are interested in what we\u2019re building, and I\u2019m very confident in our ability to build an ambitious and sustainable company,\u201d said the young entrepreneur.<\/p>\n \u201cAbove all, I feel a great deal of gratitude to the ecosystem around me, and in particular to my family, who have always supported me. But this funding is just the beginning: the most important thing is still the work to be done.\u201d<\/p>\n At the CES technology conference in Las Vegas earlier this month, one of the sector\u2019s major global confabs, Pathak was invited to speak on a panel devoted to recent developments in artificial intelligence and future trends. \u201cParticularly at the intersection between AI and consumer technologies,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Describing the conference, he said that \u201cCES is impressive, both in terms of the diversity of innovations and the concentration of major players in the sector\u201d. <\/p>\n \u201cOne particularly memorable moment was when I was invited to Lenovo\u2019s keynote at the Sphere, an absolutely spectacular venue. I was able to hear Jensen Huang (the CEO of AI chipmaker Nvidia) and Lisa Su (CEO of rival chipmaker AMD) announce strategic partnerships,\u201d said Pathak.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Also read:Young entrepreneurs honoured at Innovation Camp in Luxembourg<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Despite the fact that his future is unfolding in San Francisco, Vijay Pathak is very proud of his roots. \u201cI\u2019m from Luxembourg, I\u2019m European, and these values are deeply rooted in the company\u2019s DNA,\u201d he said, adding that Coalition Systems will retain a presence in Luxembourg. \u201cI love Luxembourg, and it will always have a special place in my career and in that of the company.\u201d<\/p>\n Given the current geopolitical situation, he believes, as do many others, that Europe must invest more in its defence<\/a> and technological sovereignty, in order to reduce certain dependencies and strengthen cooperation between member states. \u201cThese investments are essential,\u201d he insisted.<\/p>\n