In the modern retelling of David and Goliath, Ukraine tossed the slingshot for AI-powered drones and rockets. At the heart of this high-tech resistance is Brave1, the country’s flagship defense tech platform spearheaded by Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation. While serving as CEO of Brave1, Natalia Kushnerska helped transform Ukraine into a global defense innovation powerhouse.
From launching Brave1’s military tech marketplace (which has been dubbed as a first-of-its kind ‘Amazon’ marketplace for procurement) to scaling a network of startups developing everything from interceptor drones to electronic warfare systems, Kushnerska is proving agility beats size.
By working closely with U.S. funds, Brave1 is attracting tens of millions of investment into Ukraine’s emerging defense tech scene. Investors in the ecosystem to-date include the intel-alumni led Green Flag Ventures, as well as D3, the venture capital fund of former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. Digital Europe has named multiple Brave1 companies, such as the AI-software company Swarmer and the communications system company Himera, as “Future Unicorns,” indicating a strong ROI for investors with a healthy risk appetite.
Impact Wealth spoke with Natalia Kushnerska, who will continue to work on other digital projects in the Ministry of Digital Transformation, about how Brave1 is arming the front lines with cutting-edge tools, attracting global capital, and laying the foundation for Ukraine’s postwar recovery.
What inspired the creation of Brave1, and what is the overarching mission of the platform today?
Brave1 was created 2 years ago as a single point of entry for cooperation between defense technology companies, startups, security and defense forces, government, investors, academics, charitable foundations and everyone who joins forces to win with defense tech innovations.
Today, Brave1’s mission is to win the war through technological solutions and their rapid implementation.
Tell us a bit about Brave1’s Marketplace which launched this spring.
We launched Brave1 Market, a defense tech marketplace for the Ukrainian military, to ensure the fastest possible spread of technology to the troops. Today it has more than 1,100 products including UAVs, electronic warfare, communications, electronic warfare, AI modules, and components. These are the technologies that military units can use to quickly and flexibly provide themselves with their own budgets, in addition to centralized procurement.
In the catalog, you can choose the product you need, view the manufacturer’s contacts, and contact them to conclude a direct agreement. In the coming months, the Brave1 Market will offer the opportunity to purchase goods for ePoints, which are awarded for verified enemy destruction.
As CEO of Brave1, what were the most significant challenges and milestones in building Ukraine’s defense tech ecosystem amid ongoing conflict?
The first successful case was the launch of the Army of Drones project by the Ministry of Digital Transformation. Mykhailo Fedorov, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation, simplified and sped up business processes and thus stimulated the market.
Our task was to expand the project and develop new, innovative areas. From zero, the number of companies producing UGVs increased to 200. At the same time, the number of companies specializing on the EW production was less than 10, and it has grown to more than 280.
How do you balance the urgency of wartime innovation with the long-term sustainability and commercialization of defense technologies?
We create parallel innovation tracks — rapid-response track for battlefield needs (drones, UGV, electronic warfare) and strategic R&D track focused on scalable, dual-use technologies for postwar economic use.
Also we involve commercial partners and civilian market stakeholders to help attract expertise, investment and scale. This helps companies to create solutions that will be effective on the battlefield and at the same time be beneficial to the business strategically.
What emerging technologies are you most excited about within Brave1’s portfolio?
The advent of game-changing technologies on the battlefield has been a turning point: interceptor drones, fibre-optic drones, homing drones, logistics UGVs, naval drones, and the latest electronic warfare equipment.
How does Brave1 facilitate collaboration between engineers, startups, and the Ukrainian military?
Brave1 unites the efforts of the entire Ukrainian defense tech ecosystem to accelerate the development and deployment of innovations on the battlefield. What do we do for this? We support manufacturers at any stage of product readiness, organize joint testing grounds for companies and the military, where developments are tested in conditions close to combat, hold regular pitching events for companies to attract investment and grants, collect military needs, and facilitate communication between the military and manufacturers.
In what ways can global investors and defense partners engage with Brave1?
Ukrainian developers can present their technological solutions to investors during the Invest Days organised by Brave1. Today we have about 350 investment partners open to cooperation from 35 countries. We also have a matchmaking initiative to match investors with promising Ukrainian manufacturers.
In 2024, more than $40 million was invested in the Ukrainian defence innovation ecosystem with the help of Brave1. The plan for 2025 is $100 million.
Priorities for cooperation with international partners include expanding production, creating joint ventures and R&D projects, attracting expertise and testing foreign developments on training grounds in Ukraine.
What role do you see for Ukrainian defense startups on the international stage in the next 5–10 years?
Our role in the global defence tech ecosystem depends largely on our partners. We started to innovate out of an urgent need to defend our country. We had no other choice. But now Ukraine can become the backbone of global security.
Our country is connected to the Western world in a valuable way. And we are definitely fighting for what is important — democracy and freedom. That is why it is important to integrate Ukraine into the world defence ecosystem and continue to work together.
How can Brave1 contribute to Ukraine’s broader economic recovery and postwar reconstruction?
The field of defense tech innovations is a very promising area right now. Over the past two years, we have seen examples of small startups growing into large companies. Today it is a separate ecosystem.
It is also important that we develop dual-use technologies that have both military and civilian applications. Investing in such innovation can help Ukraine break out of its civilian economy, benefiting sectors such as agriculture, logistics and healthcare.
What is also important, the defense tech sphere can attract and retain engineering and scientific talent, which helps counteract wartime brain drain. By fostering R&D and advanced manufacturing, they can create thousands of jobs in fields that are crucial for future economic resilience.
If you could send one message to global innovation leaders and investors watching Ukraine’s tech rise, what would it be?
Supporting Ukrainian defense tech means doing meaningful work that drives victory, advances global security, and creates value — with the opportunity to earn along the way.
