- Ukrainian startups are racing to meet NATO standards to unlock exports and overseas business.
- Europe and the Middle East are eyeing Ukraine's battle-tested defense tech.
- A Ukrainian accelerator is preparing firms for certification and coproduction.
Ukrainian arms makers are racing to align with NATO standards, aiming to unlock export and coproduction opportunities in the West, a company getting local startups ready told Business Insider.
NATO countries are increasingly recognizing the value of Ukrainian defense technology, a shift that has been reinforced by the Iran war and rising demand for drone systems pioneered by Kyiv.
Ukrainian firms have long been constrained in their ability to do business abroad, in part due to export restrictions. But as the war drags on and Kyiv stakes out a lead in key warfighting technologies, startups are moving closer to Europe by learning NATO standards and certification requirements through an accelerator program.
For a long time, Ukraine has been "in survival mode," Line Rindvig, the CEO of Defence Builder, a Kyiv-based accelerator, told Business Insider. "We have to prepare for a long-term war, and that comes with standards."
Defence Builder launched in 2024 to help early-stage Ukrainian startups survive and scale. The accelerator identifies companies developing front-line technology and places them in a four-month program to prepare for investment and the defense market.
The goal had been to ensure that their solutions reach Ukrainian soldiers, but it has since expanded to include potential opportunities abroad.
Ukraine's defense industry has grown exponentially since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion. Rindvig said that before 2022, there were fewer than 10 specialized defense companies in the country. Today, there are more than 1,500 — many of them focused on drones, robots, and other uncrewed systems.
NATO military leaders have praised Ukraine's defense industry for its ability to quickly develop new technology and adapt to rapidly changing battlefield conditions, arguing that the West should learn from it.
Rindvig said NATO increasingly wants to integrate Ukrainian defense technology into its doctrine. For the accelerator, this means educating startups on what they need in place — from business structure to supply chain — to be ready to apply for NATO certifications.
NATO and Ukraine's defense industry have been working together in recent months, Rindvig said, adding that the accelerator will lead to more joint ventures and coproduction opportunities in Europe, with Western countries procuring surplus from factory lines.
This is crucial for Ukraine as it gravitates closer to Europe and away from the US, once its biggest military backer.
Defence Builder is in the middle of its third program and has already accelerated 15 startups; its portfolio will increase to 24 by the end of June. These companies are focused on drones and ground robots, as well as radars and communications systems.
Rindvig said the accelerator's role goes beyond funding and testing to supporting companies building "game-changing solutions."
Surging interest in Ukrainian tech
Europe has shown interest in setting up defense offices in Ukraine or co-producing with Ukrainian manufacturers over the past 18 months. However, Rindvig said she hadn't seen a significant push from the rest of the continent to procure tech directly from Ukrainian companies.
The dynamics have changed since the start of the Iran war, which put drone defense — an area in which Ukraine has combat-proven expertise — at the top of procurement conversations.
There has been a surge of interest from the Middle East in acquiring Ukrainian defense technology, Rindvig said, prompting European countries to increasingly realize the importance of fast-tracking deals and coproduction opportunities.
Rindvig said she suspects that Europe is "afraid" that Gulf countries "will give an offer first to purchase, and therefore Europe will be pushed further down the line of buying some of these solutions from the Ukrainian companies."
Ukraine restricted arms exports after the 2022 invasion to prioritize its own defense requirements, but it has since begun to loosen its policies. The Iran war — and rising demand for Ukrainian drones and counter-drone systems — has sparked new debates about the restrictions.
While Defence Builder is focused on integrating Ukrainian defense technology into Europe, the accelerator is also helping to prepare its startups for possible export by getting the companies up to NATO standards so that if the restrictions are lifted, they will be ready to go immediately.
Ukraine, in recent weeks, has signed drone and security deals with several Middle Eastern and NATO countries, underscoring growing global interest in its domestic defense capabilities.
Bohdan Sas, the cofounder of Ukrainian drone maker Bunter Aerospace, which helped launch Defence Builder, told Business Insider that the country's defense market "will prosper only in deep collaboration with Western companies and governments."
"We believe that Europe, especially, is instrumental for that process," he said.
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