{"id":614695,"date":"2024-03-28T10:00:30","date_gmt":"2024-03-28T07:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/ukrainian-drones-aim-to-turn-war-experience-into-civil-business\/"},"modified":"2024-03-28T10:00:30","modified_gmt":"2024-03-28T07:00:30","slug":"ukrainian-drones-aim-to-turn-war-experience-into-civil-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/ukrainian-drones-aim-to-turn-war-experience-into-civil-business\/","title":{"rendered":"#Ukrainian drones aim to turn war experience into civil business"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3c2089d03c2\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3c2089d03c2\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/ukrainian-drones-aim-to-turn-war-experience-into-civil-business\/#The_drone_business\" >The drone business<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/ukrainian-drones-aim-to-turn-war-experience-into-civil-business\/#A_dual-use_sector\" >A dual-use sector<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/ukrainian-drones-aim-to-turn-war-experience-into-civil-business\/#Money_talks\" >Money talks<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div id=\"article-main-content\">\n                            <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Juggling two jobs is hard work. It\u2019s particularly hard work when one of the jobs is in a warzone. But for Ivan Kaunov, the roles are complementary.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As the CEO and co-founder of <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/buntaraerospace.com\/en\/fundraising-for-the-buntar-1\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Buntar Aerospace<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Kaunov develops drones for long-range flights. As a member of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, he flies drones on combat missions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe\u2019re using them on the battlefield and we know what works, what doesn\u2019t, and how they should be changed to fit the modern warfare reality.\u201d the 33-year-old tells TNW on a video call from a <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">classified military facility.<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We have the fastest feedback loop ever.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The loop feeds back to Kaunov\u2019s business. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Buntar has already tested its unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the field. The startup now wants to scale production for military reconnaissance.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"inarticle-wrapper channel-cta\">\n<div class=\"ica-text\">\n<p class=\"ica-text__title\">TNW Conference 2024, June 20-21 &#8211; Hurry, price increase on March 29!<\/p>\n<p>Register now to get the best deal and save hundreds on all passes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s a plan with powerful supporters in Ukraine, which has become a testing ground for <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">drones<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From the skies, they\u2019ve destroyed oil refineries deep within Russia. Beneath the seas, they\u2019ve sunk warships in occupied Crimea. On territory controlled by Kyiv, they\u2019ve demined vast expanses of land, conducted overhead surveillance, and even engaged in drone-on-drone dogfights.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The war in Ukraine has <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ushered in a new era of aerial conflict. It\u2019s also ushered in a new wave of drone startups.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1405079 js-lazy\" alt=\"Ivan Kaunov and the team behind the Buntar Aerospace drones\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1000\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/Author-of-the-pics-\u2013-Gregory-Vepryk-2.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/Author-of-the-pics-\u2013-Gregory-Vepryk-2.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/Author-of-the-pics-\u2013-Gregory-Vepryk-2-280x187.jpg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/Author-of-the-pics-\u2013-Gregory-Vepryk-2-203x135.jpg 203w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/Author-of-the-pics-\u2013-Gregory-Vepryk-2-405x270.jpg 405w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/Author-of-the-pics-\u2013-Gregory-Vepryk-2-796x531.jpg 796w\"\/><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fdeep-tech%2F2024%2F03%2F28%2Fdrone-startups-ukraine-war-dual-use%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: Kaunov (right) with Buntar Aerospace co-founders Kateryna Bezsudna (middle) and Bohdan Sas. Credit: Gregory Vepryk\" data-title=\"Share Kaunov (right) with Buntar Aerospace co-founders Kateryna Bezsudna (middle) and Bohdan Sas. Credit: Gregory Vepryk on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share Kaunov (right) with Buntar Aerospace co-founders Kateryna Bezsudna (middle) and Bohdan Sas. Credit: Gregory Vepryk on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>Kaunov (right) with Buntar Aerospace co-founders Kateryna Bezsudna (middle) and Bohdan Sas. Credit: Gregory Vepryk<\/figcaption><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1405079\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/Author-of-the-pics-%E2%80%93-Gregory-Vepryk-2.jpg\" alt=\"Ivan Kaunov and the team behind the Buntar Aerospace drones\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1000\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/Author-of-the-pics-\u2013-Gregory-Vepryk-2.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/Author-of-the-pics-\u2013-Gregory-Vepryk-2-280x187.jpg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/Author-of-the-pics-\u2013-Gregory-Vepryk-2-203x135.jpg 203w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/Author-of-the-pics-\u2013-Gregory-Vepryk-2-405x270.jpg 405w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/Author-of-the-pics-\u2013-Gregory-Vepryk-2-796x531.jpg 796w\"\/><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the two<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0years under Russia\u2019s full-scale invasion, Ukraine has relied heavily on UAVs built overseas. China\u2019s DJI drones <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2023\/02\/16\/ukraine-russia-war-drone-warfare-china\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">continuously hover<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> over the heads of soldiers. Turkey\u2019s Bayraktar machines are so popular that they\u2019ve inspired a <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=S3FGWPMjl6M\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">viral song<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These vehicles have proven powerful \u2014 but they come with baggage. Deliveries to a country under invasion are often complicated. Demand outs<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">trip<\/a>s supply and foreign manufacturers can have conflicting alliances. Local production can offer safer, cheaper, and faster tech.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kyiv has responded by ramping up investment in domestic UAVs. Over 90% of the drones Ukraine now uses on the front lines are indigenously made, government officials said <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/fedorov-ukraine-to-produce-1-million-drones-per-year\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">last month<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. In 2024, the country aims to produce 1 million of them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These numbers are driving exponential growth in UAV startups.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_drone_business\"><\/span>The drone business<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kmu.gov.ua\/en\/news\/premier-ministr-nashe-kliuchove-zavdannia-aktyvizuvaty-vyrobnytstvo-bezpilotnykiv-boieprypasiv-inshoi-suchasnoi-zbroi\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ukrainian Prime Minister, there are now around 200 companies producing drones in the country. Just a year earlier, there were only seven.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One startup launched during the war is <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Celebra. The company develops a varied fleet of drones, from <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">fixed-wingers for surveillance to quadcopters that strike targets.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1405078 js-lazy\" alt=\"A drone flying over a field. It was produced by Yakiv Ostash's startup, Bank of technologies &quot;Celebra&quot; LLC.\" width=\"1640\" height=\"1093\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1640px) 100vw, 1640px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/IMGP8705.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/IMGP8705.jpg 1640w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/IMGP8705-280x187.jpg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/IMGP8705-203x135.jpg 203w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/IMGP8705-405x270.jpg 405w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/IMGP8705-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/IMGP8705-796x531.jpg 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/IMGP8705-1592x1061.jpg 1592w\"\/><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fdeep-tech%2F2024%2F03%2F28%2Fdrone-startups-ukraine-war-dual-use%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: One of Celebra\u2019s DIY drones. Credit: Celebra LLC.\" data-title=\"Share One of Celebra\u2019s DIY drones. Credit: Celebra LLC. on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share One of Celebra\u2019s DIY drones. Credit: Celebra LLC. on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>One of Celebra\u2019s DIY drones. Credit: Celebra LLC.<\/figcaption><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1405078\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/IMGP8705.jpg\" alt=\"A drone flying over a field. It was produced by Yakiv Ostash's startup, Bank of technologies &quot;Celebra&quot; LLC.\" width=\"1640\" height=\"1093\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/IMGP8705.jpg 1640w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/IMGP8705-280x187.jpg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/IMGP8705-203x135.jpg 203w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/IMGP8705-405x270.jpg 405w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/IMGP8705-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/IMGP8705-796x531.jpg 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/IMGP8705-1592x1061.jpg 1592w\"\/><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Celebra<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> also brings military experience to the business. Team members have fought in battles and flown drones to defenders of the Azovstal steel plant, the last pocket of resistance in the 2022 siege of Mariupol.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cNo one taught us, so we gathered information bit by bit,\u201d Yakiv Ostash, the startup\u2019s founder, tells TNW. \u201cThen we joined forces with guys who already had experience. At first, we learned how to \u2018fly\u2019 and formed UAV combat units.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The deployments have diversified since then.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">During a single week in early 2024, the country\u2019s drone units <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/FedorovMykhailo\/status\/1749463003110539333\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">reportedly<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> destroyed 73 Russian tanks, alongside air defence systems, fuel storage depots, and hundreds of other high-value targets.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These successes are fuelling hopes that Ukraine is becoming a global powerhouse for UAVs. Although the country can\u2019t compete with the US on resources and tech, war has provided unique experience and expertise.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe can become the leading country in the world for supplying drones to other nations,\u201d Ostash says. \u201cOur engineers who are currently developing all the technologies here could become the most sought-after specialists worldwide.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With armed conflict raging on, their focus remains on the fight. But they\u2019re already eyeing work beyond the confines of conflict.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_dual-use_sector\"><\/span>A dual-use sector<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Drones are typically dual-use, meaning they can serve both military and civil purposes. They can deliver mail as well as missiles, detect both bombs and earthquake survivors, and film enemy bases or movie scenes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cAlmost all UAVs have two or more purposes,\u201d Viktor Lokotkov, the chief marketing officer for drone startup <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/skyassist.com.ua\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Skyassist<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, tells TNW. \u201cFor example, our UAV Sirko can be used for the agriculture sector or for rescue operations.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The emerging tech has similar potential. Autonomous targeting can strike tanks or spray crops, while AI-controlled drone swarms can fight soldiers or fight fires.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The adaptations go both ways. Take the first-person view drones (FPVs) that transmit video feed to goggles worn by remote operators. The devices are typically modified quadcopters used for racing and photography. Just a few hundred dollars can buy one off-the-shelf. Add an RPG warhead and the toy becomes a bomber.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThere is no need to use expensive and high-tech UAVs as kamikaze,\u201d Lokotkov says. \u201cAll you need is a piece of wires and propellers worth $250,\u00a0And this cheap device can disable a tank that costs $4,000,000.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"How Ukrainian Drones Are Taking Out Russian Tanks\ud83d\udca5 Exclusive Footage. Tavria direction\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" srcdoc=\"&lt;style&gt;*{padding:0;margin:0;overflow:hidden}html,body{background:#000;height:100%}img{position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;object-fit:cover;transition:opacity .1s cubic-bezier(0.4,0,1,1)}a:hover img+img{opacity:1!important}&lt;\/style&gt;&lt;a href=\" https:=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/E5y9Kx4LLHI\/hqdefault.jpg\" style=\"top: 50%;left:50%;width:68px;height:48px;transform:translate3d(-50%,-50%,0)\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lauded for their low costs and high accuracy, FPVs have become ubiquitous on battlefields.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To meet the demand, the Ukraine\u00a0has rapidly expanded domestic production. According to <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/forbes.ua\/news\/ukrainski-virobniki-vipustili-blizko-200-000-fpv-droniv-z-pochatku-roku-zastupnitsya-golovi-minstrategpromu-29022024-19573\">government officials<\/a>, the country doubled its FPV output from 50,000 to 100,000 per month<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0between December and February<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That\u2019s been a boon for FPV makers, but there\u2019s a big cloud on the horizon: Russia is getting better at disrupting the cheap civilian converts. A Ukrainian drone operator told <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/ukraine-civilian-drones-it-relies-on-losing-effectiveness-against-russia-2024-1?r=US&amp;IR=T\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Business Insider<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that the Kremlin\u2019s jammers can increasingly interrupt signals between pilot and drone.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vitaliy Kryukov, a loitering munition commander for Ukraine\u2019s elite Adam Tactical Group, expects basic UAVs to become obsolete quickly. Upgrades will therefore soon need to take their places.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That will be a loss to some drone startups, but an opportunity for others. As crude FPVs lose potency, calls grow for advanced systems designed by the likes of Buntar Aerospace.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Money_talks\"><\/span>Money talks<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Buntar is building a reconnaissance UAV that can fly 80km away from the operation station. Built to withstand jamming, the vehicle uses a multi-rotary system to take off. It then switches to an aircraft flight mode, which reduces the risk of operator mistakes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>roach has caught the attention of investors. Buntar recently raised $1mn in the company\u2019s first seed round, from investors who wish to remain anonymous.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Private funding like this, however, remains rare for Ukrainian drone startups.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1405080 js-lazy\" alt=\"The Buntar Aerospace drone\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1000\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/Author-of-the-pics-\u2013-Gregory-Vepryk.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/Author-of-the-pics-\u2013-Gregory-Vepryk.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/Author-of-the-pics-\u2013-Gregory-Vepryk-280x187.jpg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/Author-of-the-pics-\u2013-Gregory-Vepryk-203x135.jpg 203w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/Author-of-the-pics-\u2013-Gregory-Vepryk-405x270.jpg 405w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/Author-of-the-pics-\u2013-Gregory-Vepryk-796x531.jpg 796w\"\/><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fdeep-tech%2F2024%2F03%2F28%2Fdrone-startups-ukraine-war-dual-use%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: A prototype Buntar Aerospace drone. Credit: Gregory Vepryk\" data-title=\"Share A prototype Buntar Aerospace drone. Credit: Gregory Vepryk on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share A prototype Buntar Aerospace drone. Credit: Gregory Vepryk on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>A prototype Buntar Aerospace drone. Credit: Gregory Vepryk<\/figcaption><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1405080\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/Author-of-the-pics-%E2%80%93-Gregory-Vepryk.jpg\" alt=\"The Buntar Aerospace drone\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1000\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/Author-of-the-pics-\u2013-Gregory-Vepryk.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/Author-of-the-pics-\u2013-Gregory-Vepryk-280x187.jpg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/Author-of-the-pics-\u2013-Gregory-Vepryk-203x135.jpg 203w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/Author-of-the-pics-\u2013-Gregory-Vepryk-405x270.jpg 405w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/Author-of-the-pics-\u2013-Gregory-Vepryk-796x531.jpg 796w\"\/><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before Ivan Kaunov launched Buntar last year, he already had a successful startup career. The Kyiv native is best known for co-founding Finmap, a cash flow management tool with over 2,500 clients across more than 20 countries.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kaunov\u2019s work at Finmap led him to <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/labs.sigma.software\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sigma Software Labs<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a Ukrainian startup hub and investor. Like Kaunov, the Sigma team has taken a growing interest in defence tech.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt\u2019s not only about weapons\u2026 This war is a tech war, and engineers will win it,\u201d Daria Yaniieva, the company\u2019s investment director, tells TNW.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Raised in the Russian-held city of Donetsk, Yaniieva has a personal stake in the success of Ukrainian defence tech. The 27-year-old also makes a strong case for the sector\u2019s business potential \u2014 although she admits that private fundraising is difficult. One barrier is the slower investment cycles, often lasting up to 10 years. Another is a sense of unease about supporting military applications.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1405075 js-lazy\" alt=\"Photo of Daria Yaniieva, investment director at Sigma Software Labs, which supports Ukraine's drone startups\" width=\"1455\" height=\"1939\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1455px) 100vw, 1455px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/Daria-at-Web-Summit.jpeg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/Daria-at-Web-Summit.jpeg 1455w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/Daria-at-Web-Summit-158x210.jpeg 158w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/Daria-at-Web-Summit-101x135.jpeg 101w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/Daria-at-Web-Summit-203x270.jpeg 203w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/Daria-at-Web-Summit-1153x1536.jpeg 1153w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/Daria-at-Web-Summit-796x1061.jpeg 796w\"\/><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fdeep-tech%2F2024%2F03%2F28%2Fdrone-startups-ukraine-war-dual-use%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: Daria Yaniieva, investment director at Sigma Software Labs. Credit: Gregory Vepryk\" data-title=\"Share Daria Yaniieva, investment director at Sigma Software Labs. Credit: Gregory Vepryk on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share Daria Yaniieva, investment director at Sigma Software Labs. Credit: Gregory Vepryk on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>Daria Yaniieva, investment director at Sigma Software Labs. Credit: Gregory Vepryk<\/figcaption><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1405075\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/Daria-at-Web-Summit.jpeg\" alt=\"Photo of Daria Yaniieva, investment director at Sigma Software Labs, which supports Ukraine's drone startups\" width=\"1455\" height=\"1939\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/Daria-at-Web-Summit.jpeg 1455w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/Daria-at-Web-Summit-158x210.jpeg 158w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/Daria-at-Web-Summit-101x135.jpeg 101w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/Daria-at-Web-Summit-203x270.jpeg 203w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/Daria-at-Web-Summit-1153x1536.jpeg 1153w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/03\/Daria-at-Web-Summit-796x1061.jpeg 796w\"\/><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With big VC firms reluctant to splash their cash, governments must fill the funding gap. In 2023, the Ukraine Defense Minister allocated about 20 billion Ukrainian hryvnia (\u20ac476mn) to purchase drones. Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said 58 Ukrainian drone makers received state contracts last year.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Allies have provided another crucial source of funds. They could also dramatically enlarge the market for the country\u2019s UAV startups. Lokotkov from <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Skyassist urges them to embrace the mutual benefits.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOur experience in using military UAVs during this war will help NATO very much,\u201d he says.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For now, those military applications provide the clearest route to market. But a world beyond the war offers new commercial opportunities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ostash already has grand plans for the emerging dual-use sector.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt\u2019s time to start building drone development factories,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd not just for military purposes.\u201d<\/span>\n                        <\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/drone-startups-ukraine-war-dual-use\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Juggling two jobs is hard work. It\u2019s particularly hard work when one of the jobs is in a warzone. But for Ivan Kaunov, the roles are complementary. As the CEO and co-founder of Buntar Aerospace, Kaunov develops drones for long-range flights. As a member of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, he flies drones on combat missions&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":614696,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image\/tnw-blurple?filter_last=1&fit=1280%2C640&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn0.tnwcdn.com%2Fwp-content%2Fblogs.dir%2F1%2Ffiles%2F2024%2F03%2FUntitled-design-11.jpg&signature=10cf1613a4f999fcba750d66558c495f","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-614695","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/614695","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=614695"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/614695\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/614696"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=614695"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=614695"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=614695"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}