Accelerating Defense Innovation Across Europe

This spring and summer, we’re expanding the European Defense Tech Hackathon series across Europe. But not all Ukrainians can leave the country to join us elsewhere.

That’s why we’re bringing a hackathon to Ukraine — to connect local talent with an international network of builders, founders, investors, and industry experts. United by a single goal: build technology that saves lives and helps Ukraine win this war.

And we’re incredibly excited to host our first event in Ukraine with an amazing set of partners!

🇺🇦 Lviv: Building Defense Tech Where It Matters Most

From May 22–25, we’re hosting the European Defense Tech Hackathon in Lviv, Ukraine, in partnership with the 3rd Assault Brigade, AB3 TECH, Women in Defense Tech, and Inflection, as well as amazing hackathon partners including Quantum Systems, D3 VC, NUNC Capital, ARX Robotics, and many more

This is not your average hackathon — 150+ builders will build real defense tech with those who use it daily on the battlefield. Focused on frontline AI, we’ll accelerate Ukraine’s and Europe’s technological defense edge.

💡 We won’t allow visitors during the hackathon, but you can join us on May 25 for Demo Day to see what the teams have built. Sign up here

🚀 Call for European Innovators: Funke – Fully Autonomous Flight 2.0

SPRIN-D, Germany’s Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovation, is on the hunt for radical thinkers. Through the second edition of their FUNKE challenge, they're inviting startups, researchers, and tech pioneers from across Europe to build next-gen drone systems: fully autonomous, without GNSS, remote control, or human input. Tackle one of two real-world missions: last-mile delivery in urban chaos or search & rescue with smart target tracking.

💶 Up to €500,000 in funding per team
🗓️ Apply by June 9, 2025
🌐 sprind.org/fully-autonomous-flight-2.0

Info webinars:
📅 May 15 & June 2 – Register here

If you're building the future of autonomy, this is your chance!

🛰️ Upcoming Hackathons Across Europe

📍 Prague, Czech Republic

🗓️ June 6 – 8, 2025
Join 100+ hackers from across Europe to co-create defense innovations.

📍 Munich, Germany

🗓️ May 30 – June 1, 2025
​Join Munich as the leading Defense Hub in Europe. This Hackathon is for builders. Prove your work.

🌱 More Events This Spring and Summer

​🚀 CIHBw DisrupTech – Troops Meet Technology

🗓️ Tuesday, May 20
📍 CIHBw, Germany
Startups and innovators, this is your chance to connect directly with the Bundeswehr! Present your technology, get real-world feedback from troops, and build relationships with decision-makers shaping Germany’s defense future. Expect breakout sessions, insider insights on procurement and operational needs, and networking with innovation and capability managers from across the Bundeswehr.

👉 Apply Now

🇩🇪 European Defense Tech Meetup

🗓️ Wednesday, June 18 (18:00–21:00 CEST)
📍 Berlin, Germany
Join founders, engineers, and innovators building defense & dual-use technologies in Europe.

👉 Apply now

🇳🇱 European Defense Tech & Women in Defense Tech Meetup

🗓️ Monday, June 23 (18:00–21:00 CEST)
📍 The Hague, South Holland
An evening of connection and conversation around building an inclusive defense tech ecosystem.

👉 Get involved

🦾 Code, Courage & Combat Tech: Dr. Larysa Visengeriyeva

“There’s no reason women can’t run defence startups.”

Check out the latest edition of the Baltic Boss Babes podcast with Larysa from our team:

🚨 NATO Launches Innovation Challenge to Counter Fiber-Optic Tethered Drones

NATO is addressing the growing threat of fiber-optic tethered FPV drones with an innovation challenge. These drones, increasingly used in modern warfare, are resistant to traditional electronic warfare methods.

The call for solutions, announced on April 28, invites cutting-edge technology to detect, track, and neutralize these drones in low-visibility and nighttime conditions. The deadline for proposals is May 30, with finalists pitching their solutions at NATO's event in Tallinn, Estonia, on June 20. This initiative underscores NATO's commitment to enhancing defense capabilities against evolving drone threats.

For more details, check out the full article here.

🛡️ Vilnius Hackathon: Building Defense Tools in 48 Hours

The Vilnius Defense Tech Hackathon, held from May 4–6, brought some of our strongest hackathon alumni and the best Baltic builders and defense experts together to develop cutting-edge prototypes in just 24 hours.

From real-time drone detection systems to scalable wargaming software and advanced night vision solutions, teams delivered fast, impactful tools designed to solve real-world military challenges.

Read more about the winning teams on LinkedIn

Winning Teams:

1st Place: Drone Triangulation System — AI-powered optical detection, real-time tracking, and countermeasure guidance built in 24 hours

2nd Place: Odile Vision — Wargaming software to train recruits at scale with interactive, mentor-guided battlefield simulations

3rd Place: Luna Robotics — European-made night vision outperforming low-end imports, now with live threat detection from the camera feed

Other hackathon projects in the TOP 7: 

⚡ Unbound Autonomy — AI-powered wearable communication system, now integrated with LoRa for long-range, low-power communication

👻 Ghost Vision — AI + LiDAR solution to detect active vs inactive fibers in fiber optic drones, enabling targeted threat neutralization

🕹️ StratOS — Tactical drone simulator with real-world variables, designed for multi-pilot coordination and mission-critical decision-making

📡 UAV/FPV Detection with SDR — Early detection of FPV drones by scanning radio spectrum for their unique video transmission signals

This is what it looks like when Europe accelerates!