Israel’s defense-tech ecosystem took center stage last night as Robel Innovation and Israel Defense unveiled the “30 Young Promising in Defense for 2025” list, honoring a diverse group of rising stars from Israel’s defense industries, startups, and the IDF. The announcement, held at the Point complex in Tel Aviv as the closing event of the UVID drone conference, drew hundreds of participants from senior executives in defense and high-tech to entrepreneurs, investors, and military representatives. The atmosphere reflected the pride of Israel’s defense sector, which is not only expanding rapidly but also attracting global attention.
This year’s competition received a notable boost from abroad, with Emirati investment fund ELMIRATE CAPITAL stepping in as a central sponsor. The partnership underscored the growing international interest in Israel’s defense innovation, particularly in technologies that blend military applications with cutting-edge AI, robotics, and cybersecurity.
Winners on the frontlines of defense-tech innovation
The judging committee, composed of senior industry leaders, selected 30 young professionals whose work is shaping the future of defense. Many of them also played pivotal roles during the Iron Swords war, highlighting the direct impact of their innovations on Israel’s security.
Among the honorees were men and women from SeeTrue AI, Starburst, Line5, Robotican, Azimut AI, Lone Front, Axon Pulse, Highlander, Kela, Uvision, Axon Vision, GSO, CodeBlue, Propeller Drones, D-FEND, and HLS IL. Additional winners hailed from MAFAT, the IDF, Rafael, Israel Aerospace Industries, and Elbit Systems.
“This evening once again demonstrates how rapidly Israel’s defense-tech industry is growing. This year’s winners represent a spirit of innovation that pushes the industry forward, while also fulfilling key roles throughout the Iron Swords war. Over the past twenty years, the State of Israel has become a Start-Up Nation; now the time has come to become a Defense-Tech Nation,” said Amir Rapaport, founder of Israel Defense and one of the judges on the panel.
Rapaport echoed the sentiment, saying that the event was a “source of pride.” “This year’s selection was particularly difficult, which indicates that the best entrepreneurs are choosing the defense field for business reasons as well as to apply many of the hard-won lessons learned in recent operations,” he said.
A sector on the rise
Beyond the celebration of individual talent, the event highlighted the trajectory of Israel’s defense-tech ecosystem. Over the past few years, specifically in the last two years due to the Swords of Iron War, the ecosystem has grown at an unprecedented pace, with over 300 companies now active across fields such as artificial intelligence, robotics, drones, cybersecurity, aerospace, and homeland security. Much of this growth has been driven by wartime innovation, as technologies developed in startups and research labs were rapidly adapted to meet urgent battlefield needs.
The event marked the second year of the competition, but its growing scale and international sponsorship highlight how defense-tech is becoming one of Israel’s most dynamic industries. With young innovators leading the charge, Israel is positioning itself not just as a hub for defense-tech startups but as a global leader in defense innovation.