Ukrainian Fund will finance technical solutions for demining - military expert Zgurets

Ukraine has to become a rapidly developing state that actively uses technology to improve its approach to warfare. More than a month ago, Ukraine announced the creation of the BRAVE1 Defense Technology Development Cluster. This platform was founded by the Ministry of Digital Transformation, the Ministry of Defense, the General Staff, the National Security and Defense Council, the Ministry of Strategic Industries, and the Ministry of Economy to create a driver for the development of technological solutions that are currently being promoted by private and public companies.

Natalia Kushnerska, head of the BRAVE1 defense tech cluster, said that the platform's task and goal is to help Ukrainian technologies that can be applied to defense needs develop, scale, and bring Ukraine closer to victory. In almost a month and a half of the project's launch, more than 250 developers have registered on the BRAVE1 platform, of which more than 100 have already passed military expertise and more than 50 have been sent to the Ministry of Defense. About 70 developers have BRAVE1 status, meaning they have received a medium or high rating based on the results of the military expertise of the General Staff. Those developments that receive a high rating go directly to the Ministry of Defense for review. And those with an average rating receive feedback from the military expertise with an explanation of what exactly the developers need to do to get a high rating.

The head of the defense tech cluster BRAVE1 noted that over the past year and a half, everyone has seen the importance of drones, but now there is a great need for robotic systems for communication, demining, situational awareness, database processing, and other systems. There are interesting solutions that can be applied to our military.

Natalia Kushnerska said that the BRAVE1 grant program has now been launched. If a development has received a medium or high rating after passing a military examination, it is eligible to apply for a grant. Next, an additional evaluation is conducted to determine the feasibility of financing. Based on the results of these two assessments, the following projects are submitted for grants, which are available for USD 25,000 and USD 5,000. International partners and investors are also very interested in the original solutions that are available in Ukraine. We are currently working out certain ways of interaction with international investors to guarantee security issues for both Ukrainian developers and investors, and to attract more money to Ukraine as quickly as possible.