In partnership with

Acceleration programfor Ukrainian defence startups

Full-cycle mentoring support
Attracting the first investments
Enabling products development upon Defence Forces requests

The mission:

To create conditions for the systematic development of the country's defenсe sector. This includes:

  • Creating a sustainable defenсe industry in Ukraine with high competition between technological companies
  • Ensuring the competitiveness of Ukrainian military technologies in global markets
  • Enabling products development upon Defence Forces requests

The program was created with:

Acceleration format:

15
Startups
4
Months of training
70%
Practical cases
100
Hours of online lectures
8
1:1 meetings with mentors
30%
Theoretical knowledge

Full program

Principles of Defence Builder:

  • Comprehensive assistance in scaling from "garage production" to a sustainable company
  • Ensure a business approach to building a project
  • Give access to battlefield testing for feedback and rapid product iterations
  • Provide a platform for exchanging crucial competencies such as management, operations, production, etc.
  • Create opportunities to attract financing from Ukrainian and international investors

Preferred domains:

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV)
Unmanned ground vehicles (UGV)
Unmanned surface vehicles (USV)
Cybersecurity
Avionics
Means of Electronic Warfare (EW) and Electronic Surveillance (ES)
Software
Sensors
Demining solutions
Other

All successfully accelerated projects receive:

  1. Post-acceleration support for 6 months
    • 3 guaranteed intro meetings with investors
    • Support in fundraising
    • Assistance with testing products on the battlefield
    • Assistance during the process of putting into service
    • Support in communications with external investors and grant funding programs
    • Monthly 1:1 meeting with a personal mentor to solve a specific request during three months
  2. Self-education materials
  3. Community of like-minded founders and mentors
  4. Network of profile investors from Ukraine, Europe, the USA, and other countries

  5. Demo Day

    project pitch to 70+ investors

How to secure a spot in the acceleration program?

Eligibility criteria for application approval:

Team starting from 2 people with established roles
English level of B1+ is necessary for at least one team member
Product MVP
OR - A limited supply of the product to the military
OR - Prior agreement on supply
OR - $25.000 of attracted investments
OR - Product testing feedback
OR - Verified feedback from the military
Ability to spend up to 10 hours per week to complete the program
Apply now

Advisory Board:

LTC (Ret) David Hendrickson
LTC (Ret) David Hendrickson
US Army Aviation Principle, Pembroke Defense Consulting former Director, Global Sales and Strategy at Textron Systems, former VP Defense Business Development, uAvionix Corp, former Senior Director BD at AeroVironment Corp
Bio
Secret Advisory
Secret Advisory (UK)
Bio
COL (Ret) Vaidotas Malinionis
COL (Ret) Vaidotas Malinionis
Founder & Managing Director of the National Defense Foundation and Colonels Association, Managing Director of the Lithuanian Security and Defense Industries Association
Bio
Mr Ronald Farkas
Mr Ronald Farkas
Founder and President of Poland-U.S. Operations (PLUS Ops)
Bio
Maria Berlinska
Maria Berlinska
Veteran of the Russo-Ukrainian war, Head of Victory Drones, the project for technological enhancement of defence and security forces, co-founder of the charity foundation Dignitas.
Secret Advisory
Secret Advisory (UA)
Bio
Yaroslav Honchar
LTC Yaroslav Honchar
CEO of NGO Aerorozvidka
Bio
Valery Krasovsky
Valery Krasovsky
Co-Founder & CEO at Sigma Software Group
Daria Yanieva
Daria Yaniieva
Investment Director at Sigma Software Labs
Vital Laptenok
Vital Laptenok
General Partner at Flyer One Ventures
Michael Shneider
Michael Shneider
CEO at Kyiv School of Economics
Anton Tokarev
Anton Tokarev
Head of Growth and Investments at Genesis

Mentors:

Leaders of tech-companies with experience in building and scaling complex technological products and top-level military with an understanding of the battlefield needs.

They will share their expertise and provide ready-made frameworks for solving the accelerator teams' challenges.

Representatives of the companies:

Igor Kaunov
Ivan Kaunov
Co-founder & CEO @ Defence Builder Accelerator & Buntar Aerospace
Kateryna Bezsudna
Kateryna Bezsudna
Co-founder & COO @ Defence Builder Accelerator & Buntar Aerospace
Daria Yaniieva
Daria Yaniieva
Investment Director at Sigma Software Labs
Dmytro Dubrovskiy
Dmytro Dubrovskiy
Co-founder Uklon
Misha Rudominski
Misha Rudominski
Co-Founder at Promin Aerospace & Himera
Nestor Dubnevych
Nestor Dubnevych
Co-Founder at Legal Nodes
Oleksandr Solovei
Oleksandr Solovei
Co-founder at Finmap
Anna Znamerovska
Anna Znamerovska
Founder & СЕО znamy
Serhii Bohoslovskyi
Serhii Bohoslovskyi
Founder at Trible
Secret mentor
Secret mentors
...
LTC (Ret) David Hendrickson
LTC (Ret) David Hendrickson
US Army Aviation Principle, Pembroke Defense Consulting former Director, Global Sales and Strategy at Textron Systems, former VP Defense Business Development, uAvionix Corp, former Senior Director BD at AeroVironment Corp
With over 39 years of experience in the defence and aerospace industry, LTC(Ret) David Hendrickson is competent in providing his expertise on UAS issues and the global trends of defence industry development.

He also has over 20 years of military experience as an Army Aviation Officer serving in various command and staff roles from Platoon to Corps operations in the U.S. Army, incl. extensive Pentagon acquisition and UAS program experience.

He holds a BS from USMA West Point New York and an MBA from Lake Forest Graduate School in Chicago, Illinois.
Secret Advisory
Secret Advisory (UK)
Decorated retired Colonel from the British Army. Over 30 years in the defence industry, 22 have been spent in the UAV space. Deployed tactical and mini UAVs into two war zones. Developed export channels for UK UAV businesses and successfully exported products to NATO countries.

Deep knowledge of the UK UAV sector with expertise extending to the UK Government relations.

Small business mentor in the UK.
Secret Advisory
Secret Advisory (UA)
Experience in the UAV area since 2016. At "UkrSpecSystems" held the positions of: Head of technical documentation Dep-t, Deputy General Director for armament modernisation and development, CTO. In times of the full-scale war, held the position of CTO at "DeViro".

Holds a high level of expertise in the following areas: market analysis and customer’s demand; admission to operation and implementation of state defence order; production scaling; transfer of technologies; organisation of the work with the military customers; building-up of the life cycle processes of military equipment. Achievements: PD-2, Shark, mini-Shark, RAM-2, Leleka-100M2, Leleka-LR, set-up the production of the Ukraine-made ICEs for the use of UAV.
COL (Ret) Vaidotas Malinionis
COL (Ret) Vaidotas Malinionis
Founder & Managing Director of the National Defense Foundation and Colonels Association, Managing Director of the Lithuanian Security and Defense Industries Association
COL(Ret) Malinionis is accomplished in strategic military planning, international deployments, operational management, and civilian liaison. Leadership in shaping Lithuanian and Baltic Defence Industries. Spearheaded initiatives such as MILEX, MAPEX, and wargaming at various operational levels, incl. key roles at the European Union Battle Group (EUBG).

Qualifications include operational planning from the UK Joint Forces Command, naval command training from the US Naval War College, and expertise in civilian protection, environmental protection, and NATO peace support.
Mr Ronald Farkas
Mr Ronald Farkas
Founder and President of Poland-U.S. Operations (PLUS Ops)
Formerly the U.S. Air Force Programs Officer at the U.S. Embassy in the Office of Defense Cooperation Warsaw, Poland. 

Ron has also served as an Instructor of Security Cooperation Studies at the Defense Security Cooperation University (DSCU) and is currently a co-chair of the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM)-Poland Defense Committee.
Yaroslav Honchar
LTC Yaroslav Honchar
CEO of NGO “AEROROZVIDKA”
Since 1994 has been serving in security and defence forces of Ukraine, holding operational positions. One of the coordinators of Kyiv Automaidan community.

Aerorozvidka emerged as an association of military volunteers and enthusiasts back in 2014. Later, the Drone Team and Delta Team were established, known as the teams that have been working on development of the situational awareness systems and R-18 drone. Today, the organisation's main focus is the development of network-centric and robotic capabilities which systematically reinforce defence and security forces of Ukraine.