The Ministry of Defence of Ukraine has launched K4 Startup Studio, a new program designed to support defence startups developing AI-powered technologies. Its goal is to create solutions that give Ukraine a technological edge on the battlefield.
The initiative is supported by the Federal Ministry of Defence of Germany and the Better Regulation Delivery Office (BRDO).
K4 introduces a new model of collaboration between the government, tech sector, and Armed Forces.
The Ministry of Defence has identified four key challenges — priority areas that directly respond to the real needs of the Armed Forces. Teams are expected to submit solutions addressing these specific challenges.
However, proposals for other AI-driven defence technologies are also welcome if they demonstrate strong potential for military application.
Participants will be selected through a multi-stage evaluation process. Up to 10 teams will be accepted into the program, with 4 of them each receiving a $250,000 grant to develop their solution. All startups will be evaluated twice by a specially formed Grant Committee made up of military experts and frontline users of emerging technologies.
Selected teams will begin with a 4-month intensive development phase, including mentorship from top Ukrainian and international experts, battlefield testing, and direct military feedback. This will be followed by a 6-month period of individual support, focused on helping teams attract investment and/or secure government procurement contracts.
For startups, the key benefit is direct access to real users and the opportunity to scale into operational defence systems. For investors, K4 offers early access to validated technologies tested under real combat conditions.
According to Kateryna Chernohorenko, Deputy Minister of Defence for Digital Development, Transformations, and Digitalisation:
"Ukraine is the only country where AI is already being battle-tested. We’re not just adapting — we’re setting trends. We’ve seen real examples of effective AI use in combat, and that’s why we believe in this direction and invite partners to invest in Ukrainian defence tech.
K4 is a program for those ready to turn their code into a weapon in the hands of our defenders."
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