MITS Capital, the owner of MITS Accelerator, Ukraine’s only Y-Combinator-type accelerator for defense technology startups, and American University Kyiv in partnership with Arizona State University (#1 in innovation in the US) have successfully completed their first accelerator program.
The MITS Acceleration Program aims to enhance Ukraine’s defense ecosystem by providing selected startups with a unique business program that equips them with the necessary tools to scale their defense tech products globally. Additionally, the program offers opportunities for participants to gain new competencies and become market leaders.
Following in-depth interviews and testing at the training ground, the MITS Supervisory Board selected teams for the first batch, focusing on the development of the following products:
- Secured Communication System for Drones – A radio communication system for FPV drones, designed for asynchronous transmission of encrypted telemetry data and encoded analog video.
- Replacement of Chinese Drone Motors – Full-cycle production of drone engines in Ukraine, completely independent of external suppliers. Manufactured with 100% local components and raw materials, eliminating reliance on Chinese imports.
- Wearable AI-Based Drone Detector and Jammer – Individual protection for users, with a large operational radius and the ability to detect multiple types of drones.
- Thermal Imaging Cameras – Best-in-class uncooled microbolometer detector from a leading European manufacturer, enhanced with specialized electronics and optics developed and produced in Ukraine and the EU. Each module undergoes thorough calibration to ensure high performance.
- Visual Positioning System – This system can be deployed on various platforms operating in environments with disrupted, jammed, or spoofed GPS signals.
Some MITS Supervisory Board Members have commented on the graduation:
MITS inaugural accelerator program has featured some truly impressive Ukrainian defense-tech startups with the kind of drive that comes from defending your homeland and a level of technical competence that is without question world-class.
While the global national security community talks about the need for cheap, survivable, attritable autonomous mass, the companies in MITS inaugural accelerator program are not only delivering these solutions right now, they’re also improving them on a near continuous basis based on real-time feedback from end-users in the field, insuring that the products they’re building are and remain just as effective in combat as they are in the lab.
– David Bonfili, a member of the MITS Supervisory Board, is the co-founder of ACME General Corp. He has held executive positions at investment firms such as Citadel, BlackRock, and Two Sigma. Additionally, he served as a research fellow at the Institute for Defense Analyses, a Washington-based organization funded by the federal government, primarily working for the Office of the U.S. Secretary of Defense (OSD).
By creating the first defense-tech accelerator in Ukraine based on the Y-Combinator model, we have proven that Ukraine is not just catching up, but becoming a leader in the development of innovative defense technologies. The world will see that we are not only the new Silicon Valley for drones but also a powerful center of research and development for the global democratic community.
– Perry Boyle, co-founder of MITS and former executive committee member at Point72, LP, one of the world’s leading investment management firms, comments.
The MITS Accelerator program has exceeded our expectations in its breadth and depth. More importantly, it has generated very positive comment from our entrepreneur cohort. The MITS team is providing a much-valued service to aid the fight for Ukrainian freedom!
– Ernest J. Herold, Co-Chair of the MITS Supervisory Board, is the former Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Defense Investment at NATO and former Executive Director of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in North and South America.
