Over three years of operation, the Brave1 defence cluster has funded the development of Ukrainian defence technologies to the tune of UAH 6.2bn. The cluster reported this on Instagram.
As Brave1 notes, the support has made it possible to systematically develop a number of areas in Ukraine, including trench electronic warfare, ground robotic systems, interceptor drones and automated turrets.
“Even more importantly, we have managed to significantly speed up the delivery of innovations to the front line. We have created conditions in which teams move faster from drawings to mass production, gain access to testing ranges and receive direct feedback from the Defence Forces,” the post says.
According to a survey conducted by the BRDO analytical centre, 79% of manufacturers said they would not have been able to find comparable support from other sources.
The largest share of funding was directed towards large-scale technology development projects. In particular, 34 projects worth UAH 3.7bn were supported through grant competitions. This includes, among other things, ballistic and cruise missiles and surface-to-air missile systems.
Overall, more than 1,000 grants have been awarded under the programme. Under the standard grant programme, 977 grants worth UAH 2.3bn were issued. Funding most often went to developments in unmanned aerial vehicles, ground robotic systems and electronic warfare capabilities.
A further 20 special grants worth UAH 145m were allocated to projects in the fields of missile technologies and artificial intelligence.
In 2026, Brave1 issued 11 grants worth UAH 81m with the support of EU partners for high-speed interceptor drones and radars.
In August 2025, the Ministry of Digital Transformation reported that over two years the cluster had issued 600+ grants worth more than UAH 2.2bn.
Going forward, Brave1 plans to focus on developing high-speed interceptors and low-cost missiles for air defence systems together with the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.
In the near future, Brave1, together with the Ministry of Digital Transformation and the Ukrainian Startup Fund, also plans to launch a grant programme to develop innovative prosthetics.
Brave1 is a Ukrainian defence technology cluster established in 2023 to develop and scale innovations in the defence tech sector. The platform brings together the state, technology companies, start-ups, investors and the military.
Brave1 helps developers create and test technologies for the Defence Forces, including in the areas of unmanned systems, robotic complexes, electronic warfare, artificial intelligence and missile technologies. One of the main support tools is grant funding for Ukrainian defence-tech developments.