United to win: UCDI Investor Club Platform launches in Ukraine to attract investment in military technology
Photo: dev.ua
In Kyiv, the Ukrainian Council of Defence Industry announced the official launch of the UCDI Investor Club, a platform that connects institutional investors with Ukrainian defense technology companies.
The Ukrainian Council of Defence Industry reported this on its website.
What is the problem?
"The Ukrainian defense industry has proven results and genuine demand, but from an investment perspective, it remains undervalued," said Ihor Fedirko, Executive Director of the Ukrainian Council of Defence Industry.
What is the solution?
"There is a war that needs to be won, and we are working on practical solutions that strengthen Ukrainian defense tech here and now. We have united strong profile investors into one platform to build an ecosystem for the growth of the sector," emphasized Evelyn Buchatska, head of the UCDI Investor Club and managing partner of the D3 fund.
As noted, the UCDI Investor Club was created to:
- attract capital to the defense tech sector,
- coordinate joint actions of participants,
- support investment deals.
"That is why we have united funds that systematically work with the Ukrainian defense industry and prove its investment attractiveness by their own example. There is a lot of work ahead. I hope that in 2026 other funds will follow the same path. We, in turn, always keep the doors open for new participants," emphasized Fedirko.
How does it work?
The platform began operating in October 2025 and currently unites 15 investment funds specializing in defense investments.
The club includes Darkstar VC, UA1, D3 VC, Defence Builder & Defender Ventures, MITS Capital, Resist.UA, Baryon Investment Fund, Double Tap Investments, Miltech Capital, Green Flag Ventures, Freedom Fund, Varangians, Angel One and Nezlamni.
The first analytical product of the UCDI Investor Club was Dealbook — an overview of investments in defence tech for 2023–2025. The document contains systematized public and verified data on deals, investors, areas and stages of financing.
According to Dealbook, the volume of investments in the sector has increased almost 100 times — from $1.1 million in 2023 to $105.2 million in 2025. At the same time, about 30% of deals remain non-public.
The largest amounts of financing are in:
- unmanned and autonomous systems, including marine platforms,
- unmanned aerial vehicles,
- ground robotic complexes.
Average investment amounts are also on the rise: at the idea or prototype stage, funding has increased from $215,000 in 2023 to $718,000 in 2025. For finished products, investment has grown from $1.8 million in 2024 to $2.9 million in 2025.
For reference:
The Ukrainian Council of Defence Industry is an independent association of private manufacturers of weapons and military equipment that consolidates the industry, strengthens interaction with the state and international partners, and shapes Ukraine's modern security architecture. The Council of Arms Manufacturers helps defense manufacturers find partners, scale production, and provides access to financing and technologies, strengthening the country's defense capabilities.
It should be noted that in March 2025, Denmark announced a 130 million-euro fund for its companies ready to invest in Ukrainian defense-industrial companies.
The United Kingdom and Ukraine have officially launched their first joint venture in Britain to produce Raybird tactical drones. The initiative is a collaboration between Ukrainian company Skyeton and British defense industry leader Prevail Partners.
As Rubryka reported, in March, the Brave1 defense innovation cluster will hold an investment tour of the United States to present Ukrainian drones and defense tech developments to American investors and potential partners.
