Uklon co-founders created an investment fund to support Ukrainian defense-tech companies, the first investment was $200,000 in Buntar Aerospace, a startup with reconnaissance UAVs and software for automated mission planning.
Co-Founders Investment Fund
The First Big Investment
Co-founders of Uklon, Vitaly Dyatlenko, Serhiy Smus, Viktoriya Dubrovska and Dmytro Dubrovsky, invested $200,000 of their own funds in the seed round of Buntar Aerospace. This defense-tech firm has developed a vertical take-off reconnaissance drone with a flight range of up to 60 km and software for automated planning of reconnaissance missions. Currently, the project is undergoing testing, combat sorties are planned soon.
Creation of the Investment Fund
The co-founders of Uklon first decided to invest in third-party projects by creating a separate fund for support of Ukrainian defense-tech startups. The total volume of the fund is $2 million, the average investment check is from $200,000 to $500,000. The fund is focused exclusively on seed rounds, and it is planned to collect 8-10 companies in its portfolio. Investments are made exclusively with the funds of the co-founders according to their shares in Uklon.
Project Selection Criteria
BRAVE1 status, innovativeness of the project and uniqueness of the technological component are important for the investment fund . Preference is given to startups with a combination of hardware and software solutions. A mandatory requirement is the passage of the product testing period and readiness for combat use, as well as established sales. The quality of the team, the presence of an established legal structure and financial reporting are also evaluated.
Additional Support
In addition to funding, Uklon co-founders can provide expertise in marketing, sales, backend development, and facilitate testing and feedback from military and volunteers thanks to a wide network of contacts in the defense-tech sphere.
Project Evaluation
When analyzing prospective projects, the co-founders consult with volunteer foundations, soldiers, representatives of the Ministry of Defense and the SSO to receive feedback and evaluate the value of the product.
Glossary
- Uklon is a Ukrainian IT company, developer of the messenger of the same name.
- Buntar Aerospace is a Ukrainian defense-tech startup, a developer of reconnaissance UAVs and software for automating mission planning.
- BRAVE1 is the status granted by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine to innovative defense-tech projects.
- SSO (Special Operations Forces) is a separate branch of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
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Answers to questions
How much did the co-founders of Uklon invest in Buntar Aerospace?
What selection criteria are used for investing in defense-tech projects?
Are the co-founders of Uklon involved in consulting with the military leadership?
In addition to funding, how do co-founders help portfolio companies?
What are Uklon's plans for international expansion and the biggest challenges for Ukrainian business?
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Discussion of the topic – Uklon co-founders invested $200,000 in Buntar Aerospace: how their fund will work for defense-tech startups
The co-founders of Uklon created an investment fund to support Ukrainian defense-tech companies. Learn more about their investment plans, objectives and criteria.
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Oleg
It's cool that Uklon decided to invest in the Ukrainian defense-tech industry! The co-founders know exactly where to invest money. 🇺🇦 With funds like theirs, Ukrainian startups will be able to develop and achieve success.
Юлія
I like their approach to selecting startups to invest in. They are looking not only for hardware solutions, but also for the software component. It is important to keep in mind the uniqueness of the project. 💻 This ensures that they support truly innovative solutions.
Ганс
Unfortunately, for Buntar Aerospace, $200,000 is not that much. But as the first investment of the fund - not bad. I hope they will be able to invest more in promising projects in the future. Every hryvnia is important for supporting Ukrainian science and technology. 🚀
Микола
Eh, the newlyweds are passionate about the protection of the Motherland... 🙄 They would rather be engaged in their own careers and earnings. Nothing good will come of these war toys, only money for the wind. Waste of time and resources.
Марія
Mykola, don't say that! 😠 Now the protection of Ukraine is the most important task for everyone. We all have to help in whatever way we can. And Uklon decided to support our developers of the latest military technologies. This is a very valuable contribution to the cause of victory!
П'єр
The defense-tech fund in Ukraine is a very ambitious and important initiative. This can become a powerful impetus for the development of the industry and attracting investments from around the world. 💰 In addition, they probably have interesting experience in cooperation with the military and volunteers during the war. With such a background, they will definitely be able to choose the right projects for financing.
Оксана
It seems that the fund has clear priorities and criteria for selecting startups. 🔍 They do not want to simply copy existing solutions, but are looking for breakthrough technologies with unique software and hardware components. This is the right approach for effective investment in new developments.
Франческо
Very happy that the Uklon fund will focus on seed rounds with an average check of $200-500k. 💸 The initial stage is the most critical moment for startups, when funding is needed to develop the MVP and set up all processes. Such support is extremely important for young teams.