Kyiv Defense Tech Week (27 April – 3 May) is a multi-day flagship event dedicated to defense innovation. It brings together engineers, startups, military professionals, policymakers, investors, and researchers from Ukraine and across Europe to work on urgent security challenges and build real collaboration.

It’s a week of hands-on building, field testing, discussions, and direct interaction between builders and decision-makers.

The main events will take place in Kyiv, Ukraine, across selected partner venues in the city.

Field-Testing Day will be held in a dedicated testing area near Kyiv, where selected teams will demonstrate and validate their technologies in realistic conditions.

Exact venue details will be shared directly with registered participants for security reasons.

The Week is designed for a cross-functional and international audience, including:

• Engineers (software, hardware, AI/ML, robotics, drone developers)

• Students and universities

• Active-duty military personnel and veterans

• Startups and founders in defense and dual-use tech

• Defense and tech companies

• Investors, VCs, family offices, and accelerators

• Policymakers and public sector representatives

If you are building, deploying, funding, regulating, or researching defense technologies — this week is for you.

Kyiv Defense Tech Week includes several key components:

• University Defense Tech Forum (April 28)
  A forum connecting universities from Ukraine and Europe to accelerate research, academic partnerships, and applied defense innovation.

• Field-Testing Day (April 29)
  10 selected startups will test their technologies in a dedicated area near Kyiv, with support from Ukrainian veterans and active-duty military mentors.

• Invest In Bravery Summit (April 30 – May 2)
  A high-level summit connecting Ukrainian defense and dual-use startups with international investors, military leaders, and policymakers.

• European Defense Tech Hackathon (May 1 – May 3)
  A 3-day hackathon focused on real-world challenges such as counter-drone systems, electronic warfare, and battlefield resilience — with direct mentorship from active-duty Ukrainian military personnel.

• Presentations & Demo Day (May 3)
  Selected teams and companies will present directly to military leaders, procurement decision-makers, investors, and strategic partners.

Participants will work on practical, real-world defense challenges, including:

• Counter-drone systems

• Electronic warfare (EW)

• Battlefield resilience

• Dual-use technologies with defense applications

All problem statements are grounded in real operational needs.

This is a highly practical week.

There will be field testing, hands-on prototyping during the hackathon, direct feedback from military operators, and conversations about pilots, procurement, and funding. The goal is to move from ideas to deployment.

On April 29, 10 selected startups will demonstrate and test their technologies in a dedicated testing area near Kyiv. Teams will receive on-the-ground technical support from Ukrainian veterans and mentorship from active-duty military personnel with battlefield experience.

This is an opportunity to validate solutions in realistic conditions and receive direct operational feedback.

Ukraine brings hard-earned operational experience and rapid iteration under real pressure. Europe brings regulatory frameworks, capital, and long-term industrial capacity.

Bringing these strengths together in Kyiv enables participants to learn from one another and develop solutions that are both operationally relevant and scalable.

Yes.

Throughout the week, startups and teams will meet investors, procurement bodies, military leaders, and strategic partners. The Invest In Bravery Summit and Demo Day are specifically designed to create pathways toward pilots, funding, and long-term collaboration.

Absolutely.

The University Defense Tech Forum (April 28) is dedicated to academic institutions, researchers, and students. It focuses on building research partnerships, connecting with industry and military experts, and translating academic work into real-world defense applications.

Yes!

Networking is integrated into expert discussions, workshops, testing days, and demo sessions. Founders meet operators, universities connect with industry, investors speak directly with builders, and public institutions engage across borders.

The aim is to build trust face-to-face and turn conversations into concrete next steps.

You can apply to participate as a builder, startup, investor, university, or partner through the official registration form.

For partnerships, sponsorships, or specific questions, please contact us via email or complete the inquiry form on the website.

Kyiv Defense Tech Week aims to become a strong bridge between Ukraine and Europe in the defense technology sector.

It’s about strengthening security through practical collaboration, creating a space where ideas turn into pilots, partnerships become long-term cooperation, and real capability is built together.