Alon Shantzer went to Paris to do business. He did not go there looking for Virginia Beach.

At Eurosatory, one of the world’s largest defense exhibitions, the vice president of business growth for Orca AI Defense sat down for coffee. Across the table was Dominique from Virginia Beach Economic Development.

“There were 100,000 people, a huge event,” Shantzer recalled. “By coincidence, we were sitting at the same table, started to chat.”

The conversation turned to Virginia Beach, a place Shantzer had never visited despite spending considerable time in the United States. Dominique invited him to come see the region for himself.

Shantzer took her up on the invitation.

When he arrived, Virginia Beach Economic Development went to work. The team introduced him to defense companies, military stakeholders, and regional partners, giving him a firsthand look at the concentration of maritime activity in Hampton Roads, from the Navy and the port to the region’s testing environment.

What started as a chance conversation over coffee in Paris turned a chance encounter into Orca AI Defense’s first U.S. office.

A conversation becomes a commitment

Virginia Beach Economic Development introduced Shantzer to defense companies, military stakeholders, and regional partners. He saw the concentration of maritime activity in Hampton Roads, the Navy presence, the port, and the region’s testing environment.

The proximity to Washington, D.C., also mattered for a company pursuing U.S. defense and government business.

But Shantzer said the relationships made the difference.

“I saw how much effort they put into help, so the relationship was amazing,” he said. “In one day, five meetings.”

The company has now opened at the Virginia Beach International Incubator, establishing its first dedicated U.S. defense office.

For Shantzer, the experience reinforced a lesson that extends well beyond economic development.

“You never know who is in front of you,” he said.

Technology already at sea

Orca AI began eight years ago with a commercial maritime safety platform. Its cameras and AI-powered perception system help vessel crews understand what is happening around them and receive alerts before potential collisions.

Shantzer said the technology is now installed on approximately 2,000 vessels. That operational experience gives the company a substantial data foundation for training its AI models.

“The main challenge with AI and analytics is data,” he said. “How do you train your engine?”

The defense arm is adapting that technology for autonomous surface vessels, naval applications, and maritime domain awareness. The system can identify and classify objects and activity at sea, including vessels, buoys, swimmers, and other potential threats.

Rather than building expensive proprietary cameras, Orca AI uses commercially available hardware and focuses its expertise on the software and analytics.

Building from Virginia Beach

Orca AI Defense is now looking to grow its presence in Virginia Beach, starting with a business development hire and adding technical support as its U.S. business expands.

The longer-term ambition is considerably larger.

“We want it to be a U.S. company,” Shantzer said, describing a vision that includes local teams and potentially local manufacturing.

He also emphasized how unusual the city’s support felt to his leadership team. When he described the assistance to Orca’s CEO and CFO, they asked what the catch was.

There was none, he said. The team was willing to help before the company had made a commitment.

A conversation at a coffee table did not guarantee an office, a hire, or future manufacturing. But it opened the door. Virginia Beach then gave Orca AI Defense a reason to walk through it.

For anyone building a business, the lesson is simple. Show up, talk to people, and do not be afraid to see where a conversation goes.