Defence Builder participated in the European Defense Tech Hackathon in Kyiv, held as part of Kyiv Defense Tech Week. Over 310 engineers, builders, and operators gathered for a 48-hour sprint to develop defence-oriented technology solutions. Andrii Hryshchuk, Defence Builder's Investment Manager & Tech Scout, conducted a workshop on pitching defence tech projects — covering what investors look for, how to frame a solution, and how to turn a working prototype into a compelling story.
The hackathon produced five winning projects across radar simulation, RF detection, UAV tracking, robotic inspection, and antenna systems:
1st place — Team RadSim. A radar-in-a-laptop system for UAV interceptor training — fully cross-platform, with AI-based false target generation including electronic warfare scenarios. No physical radar hardware required.
2nd place + Fire Point Special Award — Team Radio Pepsi. A UAV-based RF detection and direction-finding system with full RF engineering, hardware design, EMI simulation, and pelengation algorithms for mobile aerial tracking.
3rd place — Team Eagle Eye. Real-time UAV detection and tracking from thermal video streams — multi-class detection model, a working end-to-end pipeline, and initial sensor fusion built for low-visibility environments.
Special Award by TAF Industries — FieldEye (Yelizaveta Zenenko). A mobile robotic platform for remote inspection of hazardous environments — minefields, post-conflict zones, dangerous terrain. Raspberry Pi camera, live streaming, YOLO-based computer vision. Built solo in 48 hours.
Special Award by TYTAN Technologies — Team Snout. An advanced antenna tracker for high-speed interceptor systems — new system concept and a working prototype delivered over the weekend.
The hackathon ran through four air alerts on Saturday, with hundreds of drones in Kyiv's airspace. For many international participants, it was their first direct experience of operating under active threat — and a reminder that in Ukraine, defence tech development and the conditions it addresses are inseparable.
"The gap between a working prototype and a scalable defence product is where most teams get stuck. The workshop was about bridging exactly that — connecting what teams build with the people and structures that can help them scale it," said Andrii Hryshchuk, Investment Manager & Tech Scout at Defence Builder.
The hackathon was organized by Kyiv Defense Tech Week. Defence Builder's participation is part of its broader role in building pipeline between early-stage defence tech teams and the investment, advisory, and market access infrastructure they need to grow.
