Defence Builder Fund Invests in DOD Solution’s AI Drone Navigation Technology

Defence Builder Fund I, an early-stage venture focused on Ukrainian-founded defense technology, has invested in DOD Solution, an Estonian-Ukrainian developer of onboard artificial intelligence (AI) modules for unmanned platforms, as the startup closed a $2.1 million pre-seed round.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Defence Builder Fund I, founded in 2025, is an early-stage venture fund backing Ukrainian defense tech startups with $100,000-$300,000 checks, powered by Sigma Software Group, the Kyiv School of Economics, and Buntar Aerospace. The round brought together investors from Ukraine, Europe, the US, and Canada. Canadian drone technology company Draganfly joined as a strategic investor, according to the announcement. Alongside Defence Builder Fund I, the round included Angel One Fund, Better Angle, Network VC, Newfund, UAID Fund, WildField Ventures, and 4C-Next Holding AG, as well as angel investors. The announcement on the website did not specify how much each investor contributed. “When the enemy jams communications and GPS, a drone loses its orientation and may fail to complete its mission. An important factor in our decision was feedback from manufacturers who already work with their modules and highlight the team’s strong engagement, fast iterations – which is critical in current conditions – and flexibility,” the press release quoted Daria Yaniieva, President of Defence Builder. Other Topics of Interest Russian Air Strikes Target Major Ukrainian Drugs Manufacturer Darnytsia, Ice-Cream Maker Russia intensified strikes on Ukrainian businesses, hitting a Darnytsia pharmaceutical plant three times in six days and damaging ATB, Rud and OKKO facilities. DOD Solution’s flagship product, the AURA AI platform, integrates the AURA SBC onboard computer with the AURA OS autonomy software stack to provide navigation, perception, target recognition and tracking, and terminal guidance for FPV drones, fixed-wing UAVs, and interceptors. The system is designed to maintain autonomous operation even when GPS signals are jammed and communication links with the operator are cut. The press release also quoted Roman Hapachylo, CEO of DOD Solution: “Autonomy needs to work across different unmanned systems and operational environments, rather than remain a capability tied to a single platform.” According to the report “The Ukrainian Defense Technology Market: Opportunities for Investors,” published by Defence Builder, the KSE Institute, and Brave1, Ukraine’s unmanned aerial systems market reached $6.3 billion in 2025, or more than 90% of the country’s defense technology market. The segment grew by 137% from the previous year with at least 150 companies operating in it. The funding will go toward bringing the next generation of the AURA SBC into production, advancing AURA OS and onboard AI capabilities, and speeding up integrations with unmanned platform manufacturers in Ukraine and abroad. The company wrote that the new computer is being developed for production at scale and backed by a robust component supply chain, with the goal of meeting NDAA compliance requirements. That would support DOD Solution’s expansion into European and North American markets. DOD Solution has also built a network of partnerships with US-based Lantronix, which supplies the Open-Q 6490CS computing platform built on a Qualcomm chipset (July 2026); Dutch company Axelera AI, whose Metis M.2 AI accelerator is being integrated into AURA AI for interceptors (August 2026); and Estonian company DefSecIntel Solutions, with which DOD Solution signed a memorandum on joint development of AI systems for drone detection and counter-drone operations (September 2026). What is Defence Builder Fund I Defence Builder Fund I was founded in 2025 as part of the Defence Builder ecosystem. Its website describes it as an early-stage venture fund investing in Ukrainian-founded defense tech with the potential to scale within NATO, with deals sourced from the DB Accelerator and the ecosystem’s broader network. The fund writes checks of $100,000-$300,000 at the pre-seed, seed, and Series A stages. It requires a functional prototype with documented real-environment testing. Its target sectors are UAVs, electronic warfare, command and control, intelligence and reconnaissance, cyber and dual-use deep tech, and it invests in Ukrainian-founded and Ukraine-operating companies. The fund’s website says the team behind the ecosystem has a combined portfolio of more than $55 million across over 120 startups, and 23 years of technology delivery in aviation, automotive, and defense for Fortune 500 companies in more than 20 countries. The ecosystem is powered by Sigma Software Group, the Kyiv School of Economics, and Buntar Aerospace. The website lists seven portfolio companies, including DOD Solution. The others are Trinity Robotics, Buntar Aerospace, Huless, MaXon Systems, sine.engineering, and Falcons. Trinity Robotics, for instance, makes the Konyk ONE unmanned ground vehicle, which the site says is already in service with more than 20 military units and covers 45 kilometers (28 miles) on a single charge under full load. Olena Hrazhdan is the Business Reporter at Kyiv Post, covering Ukraine’s markets, business, and economic policy. While she reports broadly on economic issues, her core focus is banking, finance, monetary and fiscal policy. Olena previously wrote for leading Ukrainian business media and became a Fellow of the International Monetary Fund’s Journalism Fellowship in 2024.