Western firms to invest $100 million in Ukraine's defense tech, ministry says
Four Western companies pledged to invest more than $100 million in Ukraine's defense technology sector at a conference in Lviv this week, the Digital Transformation Ministry said on Sept. 19.
The two-day Defense Tech Valley 2025, co-hosted by the ministry and the state-backed defense technology cluster Brave1 from Sept. 16 to Sept. 17, brought together over 5,000 participants from more than 50 countries.
Dutch firm NUNC Capital committed 20 million euros ($23,5 million) to create and scale Ukrainian defense companies, focusing on NATO-oriented technologies such as advanced materials, electronic warfare systems, and smart manufacturing.
German-Luxembourg venture fund Verne Capital said it plans to invest up to 25 million euros ($29,3 million) in Ukrainian defense and cybersecurity innovations.
Sweden's Varangians fund unveiled a major investment plan, having already closed its first undisclosed deal.
U.S. investors led by Broadband Capital Investments plan to invest $15 million in Ukraine-based Swarmer, which specializes in drone swarm technology.
In addition, Oedipus Inc. announced its creation as the first permanent-capital fund in Europe dedicated solely to defense technologies, with a team experienced in investing in Ukrainian autonomous systems. The fund said it would soon announce plans for ambitious partnerships in Ukraine.
Officials said the event underscored Ukraine's growing role as a hub for modern warfare technologies, with European and U.S. firms announcing investment plans and closed funding rounds.
Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said Ukraine's battlefield experience is shaping a "new doctrine of war" where technology is decisive.
"Our message to international investors and companies is simple — if you are not in Ukraine, you are not in the defense tech market," he said.
The ministry noted that since 2024, Ukrainian defense firms have raised $90 million through Brave1. The latest pledges mark a significant acceleration of foreign capital flowing into Ukraine's defense industry.
European Union Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius, who attended the event, said Europe must not only support Ukraine but also learn from it.
Kubilius cited a recent incursion of Russian drones into Polish airspace on Sept. 10 as a reminder of Europe's vulnerabilities, stressing the need to integrate Ukrainian innovations into Europe's defense ecosystem.
"That is why our task now is to integrate Ukraine's defense industry into the European one in order to support and learn from each other to strengthen the security not only of Ukraine but of the entire European continent," Kubilius said.
According to organizers, more than 300 investors from Europe and North America attended, doubling participation compared to the previous Brave1 forum earlier this year.
