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Wartime Innovation Spurs Israeli Defence Tech Surge Amid Global Demand

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Amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza and growing geopolitical instability, Israel’s defence technology sector is experiencing a dramatic acceleration, driven by battlefield innovation and global demand. Civilian reservists with tech backgrounds, such as Zach Bergerson, are creating new startups in response to real-time battlefield needs—merging military insight with cutting-edge innovation.

Bergerson’s company, SkyHoop, which developed a wearable drone-detection system for soldiers, is now being piloted in Ukraine and is in talks for a potential U.S. Department of Defense trial. His story is emblematic of a broader trend: Israeli startups, born from frontline experiences, are attracting significant investment from both Israeli and American venture capital firms, many of whom had previously avoided defence tech due to regulatory risks.

According to Startup Nation Central, over one-third of Israel’s defence startups were founded after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack that ignited the current war. The surge in wartime innovation has generated strong interest from Europe, especially as countries increase defence spending under NATO’s new mandate to raise defence budgets to 5% of GDP.

Lital Leshem, a reservist and co-founder of the new $100 million fund Protego Ventures, noted that Israeli tech professionals returning from the battlefield are creating companies to solve problems they directly experienced. Her fund has reviewed over 160 defence startups and expects to invest in a select few by the end of the year.

Israel’s defence exports reached a record $14.8 billion in 2024, with Europe accounting for over 50%—up from 35% the year before. Demand has spiked as European countries replace old systems sent to Ukraine and seek combat-tested, high-tech solutions. However, this boom comes alongside political backlash: calls for boycotts over Israel’s actions in Gaza have intensified, with over 57,000 Palestinians reported killed by local health officials, most of them civilians.

Despite global criticism, many nations continue to prioritize performance over politics when it comes to defence acquisitions. Reserve Brigadier General Yair Kulas, head of Israel’s International Defence Cooperation Directorate, acknowledged the tension between Israel’s innovation reputation and growing international delegitimization, especially in light of the Gaza humanitarian toll.

Analysts like Avi Hasson from Startup Nation Central believe this moment mirrors the tech boom of the early 2000s, when military innovations laid the groundwork for the smartphone era. Major Israeli defence firms—Elbit, Rafael, and Israel Aerospace Industries—are now eyeing startups for potential acquisitions or rapid internal development to keep pace with the evolving market.

As the war reshapes global defence priorities, Israel’s battlefield-tested startups may find themselves at the forefront of a new global arms innovation wave—if they can overcome regulatory and political hurdles.

Ilya Sutskever Takes Charge of Safe Superintelligence After CEO Daniel Gross Joins Meta Amid AI Talent War

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Ilya Sutskever, co-founder and former chief scientist of OpenAI, has stepped up to lead Safe Superintelligence (SSI), the AI startup he founded last year, following the departure of CEO Daniel Gross who was poached by Meta Platforms to head its AI products division.

Key Developments

  • Daniel Gross left SSI to join Meta amid an intensifying AI talent war, where major tech companies compete fiercely with lucrative pay and strategic acquisitions.

  • Meta has also tried to recruit Sutskever and acquire SSI, which was valued recently at $32 billion, but Sutskever emphasized the startup’s focus on its mission, despite the interest.

  • SSI raised $1 billion last year aiming to build advanced AI systems that safely surpass human intelligence.

Background on Sutskever and Meta’s AI Push

  • Sutskever previously played a pivotal role at OpenAI but departed following internal leadership turmoil involving Sam Altman in late 2023.

  • Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently created Meta Superintelligence Labs, consolidating the company’s AI efforts after challenges with its Llama 4 model and losing key talent.

  • This new unit will be led by Alexandr Wang (ex-Scale AI CEO) and Nat Friedman (ex-GitHub chief), with Meta investing $14.3 billion in Scale AI to bolster its AI capabilities.

Industry Connections and Meta’s Strategy

  • Gross and Friedman co-founded venture capital firm NFDG, which backs startups including SSI, Perplexity, and Figma.

  • Meta reportedly offered to buy a minority stake in NFDG’s funds, signaling a strategic push to influence key players in the AI startup ecosystem.

  • Gross’s background includes a 2013 startup acquisition by Apple and leadership roles in machine learning and AI at the tech giant.

US AgTech Faces Investment Drought, But Dairy and Solar Sectors Show Promise

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The U.S. agricultural technology (AgTech) sector is experiencing a tough investment climate as macroeconomic challenges, weak commodity prices, and a slow agricultural cycle weigh on funding and valuations. AgTech, which includes precision farming, biotech, and data analytics, aims to boost farming efficiency but has seen venture capital decline.

PitchBook data shows that AgTech venture funding fell to $1.6 billion across 137 deals in Q1 2025 — a 25% drop in deal count and a 3.6% decline in capital compared to the previous quarter.

Tom Brennan, partner at McKinsey & Co., noted, “AgTech’s challenges aren’t unique. This is part of a broader venture capital correction, especially outside AI.”

However, precision farming, which employs automation, robotics, and data tools to address labor shortages and increase accuracy, continues to attract strong investor interest. Over the trailing 12 months, precision agriculture deals reached $1.82 billion, with robotics and smart field equipment seeing a 48.5% growth in value.

Vasanth Ganesan from McKinsey highlighted the labor shortage factor: “About 40% of U.S. agricultural labor is likely undocumented, driving demand for robotics and automation.”

Monarch Tractor, based in California, is gaining traction in autonomous equipment, especially in dairy farms. CEO Praveen Penmetsa said their autonomous feed-pushing feature has been well-received by cooperatives such as Dairy Farmers of America.

Solar land management also presents growth opportunities, using robotic tractors to maintain solar farms—a sector driven by utilities powering AI data centers. Penmetsa added, “We’re collaborating with top North American solar developers and expect major partnerships soon.”

Industry giants like John Deere and Caterpillar are expanding their automation offerings, signaling growing strategic interest and clearer exit pathways for AgTech startups.

Experts forecast a potential capital market rebound in H2 2025, benefiting established companies poised for scale, provided trade tensions do not prolong disruptions.