A Ukrainian defense-technology startup, UFORCE, is nearing a $1 billion valuation, according to Bloomberg. This valuation reflects intense interest from Western and Gulf militaries seeking combat-proven systems. UFORCE, formed by merging nine Ukrainian defense companies, recently secured $50 million in funding led by Shield Capital and Lakestar, with Ballistic Ventures participating.

London-based UFORCE positions itself as a major platform translating battlefield technologies into deployable systems for allied forces. The surge in demand stems from escalating conflicts, particularly in the Middle East where Iranian drones and missiles target infrastructure. Ukraine's experience with similar threats, like Iran's Shahed drones used by Russia, underpins UFORCE's offerings.

These include maritime drones, strike UAVs, and counter-drone platforms, which have supported over 150,000 missions during the war. UFORCE's MAGURA maritime drones have notably disabled or sunk over a dozen Russian vessels in the Black Sea. This funding round highlights the growing market for such technologies as conflicts intensify globally. Oleg Rogynskyy, a Ukrainian-born Silicon Valley entrepreneur and former People.ai CEO, leads UFORCE, having facilitated early connections between Ukraine's government and the US venture community post-2022 invasion.

The company's leadership also includes former Ukrainian Prime Minister Oleksii Honcharuk and former UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace.