MITS Accelerator

Pitch us

In partnership with American University Kyiv
(powered by Arizona State University), this Y Combinator-style program empowers Ukrainian defense tech startups with the tools needed to develop and scale their innovations

Team selection criteria

Our main goal

To accelerate and scale the production capacity of defense-tech startups developing innovative, battlefield-relevant solutions

Our priority

We prioritize teams that already have an MVP and whose technologies address urgent frontline needs

Team

We evaluate the founding team’s technical expertise, execution capacity, and ability to scale in both Ukrainian and international markets

Product

We look for products with a strong value proposition, clear technological differentiation, and validation by end users such as the Armed Forces of Ukraine

At the acceleration stage, we have the following expectations from the startups we work with

  • 01

    Involvement of key team members

  • 02

    Clear orientation toward measurable results and growth

  • 03

    Fast responsiveness and willingness to iterate based on feedback

Sustainable competitive advantage

We assess a company’s market potential based on technology uniqueness, barriers to entry, and long-term leadership opportunities in both defense and dual-use applications

About the program

The six-month intensive program is divided into four core tracks:

Sessions & Workshops

covering business development, company and manufacturing scaling, export strategies, legal frameworks, and specifics of the defense industry in Ukraine and globally.

Strategic Consulting

covering business development, company and manufacturing scaling, export strategies, legal frameworks, and specifics of the defense industry in Ukraine and globally.

Ongoing Support

continuous mentoring and consulting.

Network building

creating a relevant network of contacts in Ukraine and abroad for future growth, including key defense industry players, military divisions, potential investors, advisors, local and foreign partners for scaling, integrations, and contracting.

  • Business Efficiency
  • Entrepreneurial Thinking
  • Strategy
  • Assessment of market opportunities
  • Business model development
  • Budgeting and forecasting
  • Financing
  • Market analysis
  • Evaluation of competitors
  • Product roadmap
  • Market entry strategy
  • Building valuable connections

About the program

The best way to ensure a favorable ecosystem for startups is to be a part of building it

Building the future of our country, developing reforms in the field of defense technologies
Our startups are more likely to succeed and scale
Acceleration and minimization of bureaucratic obstacles for our startups, which will ensure faster release of products to the military
Thanks to the unique reputation of MITS as one of the centers of ecosystem development, we will be able to attract the most promising investors and have better conditions for cooperation with them
Simplifying the resolution of potential problems and difficulties that may arise within the framework of the activity

MITS LIGHTNING FUND

MITS focuses on early-stage companies in a high-growth defense market

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