Former Defence Builder CEO Kateryna Bezsudna appointed to lead TEKEVER Ukraine

Kateryna Bezsudna, co-founder of the Defence Builder accelerator who recently stepped down as its CEO, has been appointed Executive Director of TEKEVER Ukraine.

According to the company’s press release, Bezsudna will focus on scaling TEKEVER’s presence in Ukraine, building a local R&D team, and strengthening links between frontline users and the company’s engineering hubs in Portugal and the UK.

TEKEVER is one of Europe’s leading developers of unmanned aerial systems and a global leader in maritime surveillance drones. Its platforms are powered by an AI backbone that integrates Edge AI, satellite communications and cloud computing. The company operates research, engineering and manufacturing centres in Portugal, France and the UK. Earlier this year, TEKEVER raised a fresh funding round that pushed its valuation above $1 billion, making it a unicorn.

In Ukraine, TEKEVER has been operating since 2022 and formally opened its Kyiv office in spring 2025. Since entering the market, its AR3 and AR5 drones have completed thousands of missions, with the AR3 logging more than 10,000 flight hours. Feedback from Ukrainian frontline units has driven over 100 upgrades to the AR3 platform, leading to the launch of the enhanced AR3 EVO in September 2025.

Bezsudna, a well-known figure in Ukraine’s defence tech ecosystem, will oversee TEKEVER’s next phase of growth in the country.

“By appointing Kateryna, we gain not only local leadership but also a strategic vision to turn Ukraine into a global hub for autonomous systems innovation,” said Karl Brew, Head of Defence at TEKEVER.

Her key priorities will include expanding the Kyiv office, establishing a strong R&D hub fully integrated with TEKEVER’s European centres, accelerating the adoption of Ukrainian startup innovations, and reinforcing collaboration between frontline units and engineering teams to shorten development cycles.

“Ukraine needs solutions that can be tested directly with combat units and scaled globally,” said Bezsudna. “With TEKEVER, we are demonstrating that from the Black Sea to Donetsk our AR3 and AR5 drones are already delivering intelligence, protecting lives, and paving the way for the next generation with the AR3 EVO.“

Earlier this month, Defender Media reported on leadership changes at Defence Builder: Bezsudna stepped down as CEO while remaining a co-founder, with Danish manager Line Rindvig taking over as part of the accelerator’s shift towards stronger international cooperation.