https://defencebuilder.com/, https://www.instagram.com/defence.builder/, https://www.linkedin.com/company/defence-builde

Defence Builder, Kyiv (2026)

16/06/2026

Defence Builder introduces Frost Works – one of the teams in our Batch 3.0 Acceleration programme.

Frost Works is developing air threat detection systems designed for tactical and strategic use in contested environments. Their core product, VELES, is a multimodal detection system designed to identify low-altitude aerial threats, including nap-of-the-earth targets such as Shahed-type UAVs.

The system combines acoustic and radar sensing into a unified architecture. Using a distributed aperture mesh methodology, VELES enables detection of target altitude and transition from initial detection to precise 3D tracking with progressively increasing resolution.

This approach addresses one of the key limitations of acoustic multilateration systems — reliable altitude estimation – by fusing wide-area acoustic detection with short-range radar refinement for high-precision localization under low-power operation.

VELES is currently at pre-product stage and has been validated through simulations. The invention is protected via a provisional patent application (USPTO) and is built on a modular architecture using previously validated components, reducing integration risk and accelerating development.

The system is developed for scenarios where early detection of low-flying aerial threats, such as Shahed-type UAVs, directly impacts response time and air defence effectiveness.

For Frost Works, the value of Batch 3.0 lies in validating a distributed sensing architecture in real operational contexts and preparing the system for scalable deployment in air defence networks.

Want to back the teams? Join as an investor: https://defencebuilder.com/join-defence-builder-as-an-investor

12/06/2026

Defence Builder introduces Fremen – one of the teams in our Batch 3.0 Acceleration programme.

Fremen is developing an AI-powered drone survival system designed to increase the survivability of reconnaissance UAVs in environments where they are actively hunted by low-cost FPV interceptors.

The core problem is asymmetry in modern aerial warfare: a $500 interceptor can neutralize a $50,000 reconnaissance asset, resulting in both platform loss and mission failure.

Fremen addresses this through a lightweight onboard module (

11/06/2026

In her op-ed for Censor.NET, Defence Builder Accelerator COO, Yana Shkvarovska, spoke about the evolution of Ukraine's defence-tech ecosystem from raw frontline improvisation into a mature, multi-billion-dollar industry capable of breeding the next generation of global defence unicorns.

Today, that same ecosystem has exploded from a handful of companies to nearly 1,500. The UAV, UGV, and EW markets alone doubled to $6.8bn in a single year. Through initiatives like Build with Ukraine, we are seeing joint ventures with European giants like Rheinmetall, Quantum Systems, and Helsing. NATO military doctrines are literally being rewritten based on Ukrainian combat expertise. And in three years, Ukraine has transformed from a recipient of security assistance into the global proving ground for the future of warfare.

“There is the harsh reality of modern war: a brilliant, combat-tested prototype isn’t enough. To win, we need serial production, scalable business models, and companies ready for international joint ventures. We have engineers with brilliant, battle-hardened tech who lack the legal structure, capital access, and systemic know-how to scale from the trench to the factory floor. And that’s the mission of Defence Builder Accelerator: We take combat-validated technology and forge it into mature businesses capable of navigating NATO standards (AQAP), passing rigorous due diligence, and securing international investment,” – said Yana Shkvarovska.

Yana Shkvarovska officially unveiled 7 of the 9 companies in Batch 3.0 (two remain undisclosed for security reasons):

🛡 Trident Group: Autonomous final-phase targeting. When EW jams the GPS and the screen goes black, their machine vision takes over to complete the mission.

🛡 WingTech: Reusable fixed-wing strike drones pushing the depth of engagement up to 600km, changing the economics of deep strikes.

🛡UGV manufacturer (name withheld): High-mobility UGVs with an articulated frame. Keeping logistics and casualty evacuation moving where roads don’t exist

🛡 Frost Works: Multi-layered acoustic and radar fusion, creating a network that listens to the sky to hunt low-flying, terrain-hugging threats like Shaheds.

🛡 Fremen: On-board survival modules that allow high-value recon drones to detect EW, spot interceptors, and survive in contested airspace.

🛡 Telearmy: Retrofitting existing armour for remote control. We aren't waiting years for next-gen unmanned tanks; we are pulling humans out of the line of fire today.

🛡 BlueShadow: Swarms of USVs acting as a naval shield, intercepting aerial threats over the Black Sea before they ever reach our coastal cities.

🛡 NEBOSTRAZH: AI-powered autonomous turrets and FPV interceptors. A multi-sensor system designed to automatically track and eliminate the enemy FPVs responsible for the majority of battlefield casualties.

The era of battlefield start-ups in Ukraine is evolving into the era of sustainable, scalable defence unicorns. All these solutions mean to reinforce our defenders and change the situation on the battlefield. We are building the arsenal that will secure our victory today, and defend our allies tomorrow.

Read the full article here: https://censor.net/biz/columns/4006799/yak-v-ukrayini-vyroschuyut-oboronnyh-yedynorogiv-poglyad-izseredyny-akseleratora-defence-builder

10/06/2026

Defence Builder introduces UGV TAUREX – one of the products participating in our Batch 3.0 Acceleration programme.

TAUREX is a wheeled unmanned ground vehicle designed for logistics and evacuation missions in terrain where conventional vehicles lose mobility and operational effectiveness.

Logistics-focused unmanned ground systems are the fastest-growing segment within the category, accounting for 61% of the market and growing by 556% year-on-year, according to joint research by KSE Institute, Brave1 and Defence Builder. Overall, the unmanned ground vehicle market has shown the strongest growth within the Ukrainian defence technology market, reaching an estimated $252M by the end of 2025.

Built around an articulated frame and dual airless wheel configuration, TAUREX maintains continuous ground contact and traction even in highly uneven environments. The system is designed to transport over 300 kg across distances exceeding 80 km on a single charge, combining endurance, payload capacity and off-road mobility in a compact robotic platform.

TAUREX is focused on frontline logistics scenarios where terrain adaptability and operational continuity directly affect mission ex*****on. The platform architecture also supports integration of additional payloads and mission-specific modules, enabling both defence and dual-use applications.

The first iteration of the system has been patented, successfully completed a certified military obstacle course, and received Brave1 expert validation as a promising technology for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. TAUREX was also presented during the EU–UA Defence Forum in Brussels in 2025, while an upgraded version of the platform is already in development.

Participation in Batch 3.0 allows the product to further validate deployment scenarios, strengthen end-user integration, and prepare for initial procurement and scaling.

09/06/2026

Our DB Fund portfolio company MaXon Systems has confirmed its first combat intercept of a Shahed drone in fully autonomous mode. The technology was tested by the 12th Special Purpose Center.

The system automates 95% of the interception process — from launch to target destruction. One button press, then the drone operates independently: takes off, climbs to altitude, navigates to the target, locks on and strikes. Up to 70 minutes of flight time, cruise speed of 200–250 km/h, sprint up to 300 km/h, operational radius — 30 km.

MaXon's technology addresses the core dependencies of manual interception — operator skill, weather conditions, and crew availability — replacing them with hardware and software that perform consistently regardless of circumstances.

"Autonomy is one of the key directions in modern air defence development. These technologies enable faster response to mass attacks and more effective protection of Ukrainian cities" — Михайло Федоров, Minister of Defence of Ukraine.

The team is moving into early scaling — preparing to fulfill its first order from a combat unit. One interceptor costs around $3,500. The next R&D milestone is multi-target remote control: one operator managing launch stations from multiple locations. The same logic as Patriot — one command center, several launchers.

We are proud to have been the first to invest in MaXon and Oleksiy Solntsev — and even prouder to watch them deliver. A team that keeps pushing the technology further until it works exactly where it matters.

Special thanks to Brave1 for supporting and validating the technology — and to our co-investors who backed MaXon at pre-seed: Freedom Fund, Green Flag Ventures (USA), Hede Capital (Sweden), and Big Defence (Finland).

08/06/2026

We are proud of our partnership with NATO in Ukraine and would like to sincerely thank you for your support, expertise, and the contribution you make to strengthening cooperation and advancing the defence ecosystem. We highly value the opportunity to work together on products that help shape the future of security and innovation.

08/06/2026

Defence Builder introduces WingTech — one of the teams in our Batch 3.0 Acceleration programme.

WingTech designs and manufactures fixed-wing UAVs for strike and logistics missions at medium range, with a focus on reusability, autonomous operation and performance in GPS-denied, heavily jammed environments.

Their key product is HABA — a reusable strike bomber with an internal combustion engine, capable of operating at ranges up to 600 km with 5–8 kg payload. The platform launches by catapult, lands autonomously without a parachute, and navigates using custom inertial and beacon-assisted systems with no GPS dependency.

HABA has been combat-deployed in Ukraine for over a year, with multiple aircraft currently performing operational missions. The platform has completed GPS-denied takeoff and alternative navigation tests under electronic warfare conditions, reaching TRL9 and undergoing NATO codification. WingTech holds government contracts and Brave1 grant support, with in-house R&D and production facilities.

In parallel, the team is developing a mothership platform for FPV delivery and deployment, currently at TRL4–5 and undergoing flight testing.

WingTech operates where mission success depends on system reliability at distance — reusable airframes, autonomous navigation in contested environments, and rapid redeployment between sorties. Low-cost deep strike with minimal crew exposure.

"Joining Batch 3.0 allows us to work with more complex combat system configurations — integrating new functional roles for the platform and validating them in real operational scenarios for further scaling," the WingTech team stated.

Learn more: https://wingtech.com.ua/
Want to back the teams? Join as an investor: https://defencebuilder.com/join-defence-builder-as-an-investor

05/06/2026

On the 18th of June, Defence Builder Accelerator is hosting Demo Day 3.0 – the final showcase of our 3rd Batch companies. Nine Ukrainian and European defence tech teams will step onto the stage to demonstrate their solutions directly to 100+ key decision-makers: investors, prime manufacturers, government institutions, the Ukrainian Armed Forces, NATO representatives and the media. The anchor partner for Demo Day 3.0 is Генерал Черешня FPV, a leading Ukrainian defence-tech company specialising in the development and serial production of advanced unmanned systems.

Event Details:
📅 Date: June 18, 2026, 12:00–17:00 Kyiv time
📍 Location: Kyiv (exact venue shared with confirmed attendees)
💻 Format: In-person + online stream
🔗 Registration: https://luma.com/vfn8duul

The Demo Day programme covers five critical domains: C-UAS and drone detection, strike and loitering munitions, maritime and coastal defence, remote and autonomous ground systems, target acquisition and guidance.

The event is structured across four blocks:

🔹Pitch sessions: 9 Batch 3.0 companies present their solutions
🔹Grant announcement & ceremony: Selected teams will receive grant support.
🔹Military panel discussion and special fireside chat with General Cherry on what battlefield reality demands from defence tech today.
🔹Exhibition zone: Live product demonstrations from Batch 3.0 companies throughout the day, with continuous networking.

We look forward to uniting capital, expertise, and end-users under one roof. Because an idea alone is not enough to secure a victory. Developers need investors, investors demand reliable solutions, and our defenders need game-changing capabilities on the frontline. The Accelerator exists to bridge this gap: levelling up early-stage companies and opening the heavy doors of the defence sector so that investors and the military can confidently collaborate. We bring them all to the same table because smart cooperation is what will win this war.

👉 Secure your spot and register here: https://luma.com/vfn8duul

04/06/2026

On May 30, the Defence Builder Accelerator hosted its closed Field Demo Day at a polygon, where Batch 3 companies demonstrated their progress to 80+ representatives, among which Ukraine’s defenders, NATO representatives, and industry leaders. Both Ukrainian and European innovators took centre stage to pitch their solutions, engage with prominent media outlets, and network directly with manufacturers and military brigades.

As Defence Builder Accelerator CEO, Line Rindvig, highlighted: “Time costs lives. The frontline extends into every lab and workshop, and our mission is to aggressively compress the journey from a developer’s laptop to battlefield deployment. Working shoulder-to-shoulder with military end-users ensures these solutions are fit for purpose today, whilst paving the way for our startups to develop NATO-aligned systems that contribute to global security tomorrow.”

During the event, Batch 3 companies presented their solutions in the following domains: C-UAS, EW and radar systems, maritime and coastal security, aerial threat detection, autonomous ground systems, reusable unmanned platforms, automatic target detection, tracking, and terminal guidance technologies.

Here’s the brief list of the solutions represented during Polygon Demo Day 3.0:

🛡️Wingtech: HABA bomber drone with a 600 km range, adaptable as an FPV carrier;
🛡️Trident Group: 200g AI targeting module that guides drones independently during total comms blackout;
🛡️Fremen: Onboard survivability kit detecting hostile FPV signals on heavy UAVs;
🛡️Frostworks: Veles acoustic sensor network for early low-altitude threat detection;
🛡️BlueShadow ApS: Blue Dragon airborne threat monitoring system over the Black Sea;
🛡️Nebostrazh: AI-driven multisensor concept for drone detection and kinetic interception;
🛡️Telearmy: Remote vehicle operation technology, demonstrated on an armoured vehicle and off-road car, with stable control at 4,300 km range and speeds up to 157 km/h.
🛡️UMP: High range UGV with high-cross-terrain ability. Puncture-resistant wheels for higher survival rate with 300kg payload capacity.

As Defence Builder Accelerator COO Yana Shkvarovska, noted: “Startups are now at the very heart of defence innovation. The true value of this Demo Day was the direct, face-to-face collaboration between engineers and the defenders fighting in the most active combat zones. By turning raw prototypes into battle-validated, scalable solutions, we are equipping our forces with the tools they urgently need.”

A massive thank you to all the teams, military personnel, and partners who made this event a success.

Ukraine's defence ecosystem is growing, and we're looking for the manufacturers, brigades, and partners ready to grow with it.

03/06/2026

A Deloitte Ukraine study found that many defence startups lack basic accounting, financial forecasts, and IFRS-grade reporting. At the same time, the sector demands more financial rigour than almost any other — decentralised procurement, multiple counterparties, post-payment models, upfront R&D burn, and reporting standards from government to NATO to EU grants to private investors. The gap between where most startups are and where they need to be is exactly why a proper financial system has to be built from the start.

Our job within the Defence Builder Accelerator is to prepare founders for exactly this. The business track of our programme exists to make sure the teams we back aren't just building great technology, they're building investable, scalable companies. That's why we brought in a dedicated financial management workshop for our Batch 3 cohort.

The session was led by Eugenia Rybakova, FINMAP.online, Financial Architect for Founders, IFA & CIMA certified, with over 10 years of experience as a CFO across multiple industries. She ran an interactive, practice-oriented workshop covering key areas that every founder needs to get right early:

→ The difference between bookkeeping and management accounting — and why only the latter supports strategic decision-making
→ The four financial reports every founder must be able to read and use: Cash Flow Statement, P&L, Balance Sheet, and Plan vs. Actual analysis
→ The most common financial blind spots at the early stage — from mismanaging runway to underestimating unit economics
→ Building financial discipline in lean teams: practical frameworks and tooling without the need for a full-time CFO from day one

Our goal is to make sure our startups are ready for whatever comes next — a due diligence process from a strategic investor, reporting requirements under a NATO or EU grant, a government procurement audit, a pitch to an institutional fund, or scaling production under a defence contract.

Explore more insights and highlights from the discussion in the carousel below.

Thank you Eugenia and Finmap, for a sharp and practical session!

Defence Builder

16/06/2026

12/06/2026

11/06/2026

10/06/2026

09/06/2026

08/06/2026

08/06/2026

05/06/2026

04/06/2026

03/06/2026

Address

Website

Alerts

Contact The Organization

Shortcuts

Share

Category