Uforce Hits $1B Valuation, Becoming Ukraine’s First Defense Tech Unicorn

Uforce, a London-based startup founded by Ukrainians, has raised $50 million in seed funding, bringing its valuation to over $1 billion, marking a significant milestone for both Ukraine and the UK in the defense technology sector, Resilience Media reported on March 5.

The company, which designs and manufactures land, sea, and aerial systems, is now the first defense tech “unicorn”  in both nations.

This funding round comes on the back of Uforce’s impressive success in supplying combat-proven systems to Ukraine’s forces, including counter-drone solutions capable of disrupting Iranian Shahed drones used by Russian forces against Ukraine. The company has already turned a profit and is seeing a remarkable 450% growth in bookings for 2025, which amount to hundreds of millions of dollars.

“Ukraine didn’t just adapt to modern warfare, it reinvented it,” said Oleg Rogynskyy, co-founder and CEO of Uforce. “We built a company that can take these combat-proven, not slide-deck-proven, systems and deliver them to the allies now facing similar threats.”

The investment, which includes backers such as Lakestar, Shield Capital, and Ballistic Ventures, will enable Uforce to expand its manufacturing operations outside Ukraine and bolster its production capabilities. The company already operates in six European countries, with material sourcing and manufacturing across 15 locations, and employs a team of over 1,000 engineers, developers, and operators.

In addition to its well-known counter-drone technology, Uforce’s flagship product, the MAGURA uncrewed surface vessel, has already had a significant impact on the battlefield, striking over 12 Russian warships and even shooting down manned helicopters and fighter jets for the first time in history. Uforce also develops Nemesis strike drones, combat robotics, counter-UAS systems, and battlefield management software, Resilience Media wrote.

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The company’s rapid growth and ability to innovate in the face of a fast-changing war showcase the future of warfare: “What we are seeing in Ukraine is the future of warfare—effective, faster, and less costly to develop, with a team that is relentlessly adaptive,” said Klaus Hommels, founder and chairman of Lakestar.

Founded by a team with deep ties to both the tech and defense industries, Uforce is helmed by Oleg Rogynskyy, the former founder of people.ai, and Oleksii Honcharuk, the former Prime Minister of Ukraine. The board also includes the former UK Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace.

The success of Uforce is part of a growing trend of Ukrainian defense tech startups tapping into both local innovation and international investment. Alongside companies like Frontline Robotics, Airlogix, and Odd Systems, Uforce has become a key player in the defense sector, showing that Ukraine is becoming a hotbed for defense technology that can address modern military needs.

With defense-focused venture capital growing rapidly, Uforce’s breakthrough is Ukraines first defense tech “unicorn,” but it may not be the last. The startup’s ability to scale rapidly and its impact on the battlefield provide a blueprint for the future of defense innovation, Resilience Media reported.

The international adaptation of Ukraine’s maritime technology is already underway. It was previously reported that American defense provider Red Cat Holdings was integrating an autonomous “Bullfrog” turret onto the Variant 7, a US-built version of the Magura V7.

Spearheaded by the Red Cat Futures Initiative and Allen Control Systems, the project aims to deploy the modified drone as a cost-effective interceptor against both aerial and surface threats.

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