What you need to know about Kyiv Defense Tech Week: key events and how to attend

From April 27 to May 3, Ukrainian capital will host the first Kyiv Defense Tech Week (KDTW). The event will bring together international investors, startups, engineers, military leaders, and policymakers who are at the forefront of defence innovation.

Within KDTW, Kyiv will host a week of events including the University Defense Tech Forum, the Invest in Bravery summit, the closed-door Investors Mixer, a Defense Hackathon, as well as field testing and other activities. The program focuses on accelerating the path from idea to implementation — connecting those who develop technologies with those who fund, scale, and integrate them.

As one of the main media partners of Kyiv Defense Tech Week, Defender Media shares what you need to know about KDTW, which events to pay attention to, and how to become one of the attendees.

What do the organisers say?

KDTW is organized by Invest in Bravery and the European Defense Tech Hub (EDTH) in cooperation with leading ecosystem partners. They note that, amid shifts in the global security landscape, Ukraine has established itself as a key hub for next-generation defence technologies — not only as a testing ground, but also as a place where new models of innovation are born and developed in real-world conditions.

According to the organisers, KDTW combines Ukrainian expertise with international capital, industrial capabilities, and political leadership, accelerating the implementation of solutions, the development of talent, and the formation of partnerships that will shape the future of defence innovation in Ukraine and across Europe.

The Special Projects Manager at the European Defense Tech Hub, Akim Karpach, emphasises that Ukraine is a centre of innovation in the defence sector, where technologies are tested in real-world conditions and help shape approaches to ensuring peace. “With exceptional talent, frontline experience, and world-class engineering, Ukraine is redefining the path of innovation — from urgent need to real impact, from battlefield requirements to global security solutions,” he says. “This is exactly the purpose of Kyiv Defense Tech Week — to accelerate the development of ideas that are shaping the future of security.”

The Co-Founder and Executive Director of Invest in Bravery, Lola Onipko, adds that Ukraine’s defence revolution is not about “hardware”, but прежде all about people: their mindset and their ability to build infrastructure and resilient systems in extreme conditions. “This kind of experience cannot be replicated, but it can be integrated,” she says. “The future of European security depends not only on capital, but also on the ability to combine these competencies. Kyiv Defense Tech Week is a space for this kind of integration.”

Key events

University Defense Tech Forum | April 28–29

Connecting Ukrainian and European academia working on defense and dual-use technologies. [Learn more / Apply]

Invest in Bravery | April 30

A high-level summit giving international investors and strategic partners direct access to vetted Ukrainian defense tech startups. [Learn more / Apply].

Investors Mixer | May 1

An invite-only reception designed to foster investments, partnerships, and ecosystem collaboration.

Defense Hackathon | May 1–3

A three-day build sprint tackling real-world defense challenges, including counter-drone systems, sensing technologies, communications, and battlefield resilience. [Learn more / Apply]

The program will also include field testing with military units, tactical training, and demo days, where solutions are presented directly to investors, operators, and procurement partners.

Support from investors and ecosystem leaders

KDTW brings together a growing coalition of investors and industry leaders to shape the future of democratic defence. Key support is provided by Fire Point, Airlogix, Tytan Technologies, Occam Industries, Moodro Tech, and Sub Rosa, as well as investors including D3 VC, Rockaway Ventures, Depo Ventures, Bifrost Defence, Nunc Capital, and S-Tech Ventures.

Among other participating investors are Oedipus, Keen Venture Partners, Latour Capital, Baryon Fund, Darkstar, Oscar Mike Venture Partners, Presto Tech Horizons, BSV Ventures, UA1, Motanka VC, IP Lab Ventures, Victor Avenue Capital, Tillia Impact Ventures, Marshall Bridge Ventures, and others.

The programme has been developed in collaboration with ecosystem partners including Brave1, Double Tap Investments, Snake Island Institute, IRON, Defense Innovation Highway, Defence Builder, Women in Defense Tech, Calibrated, and Arsenal — organisations working across innovation, capital, and the transformation of defence in Ukraine and Europe.

Find out more: https://www.kyivdefensetechweek.com/