What is Brave1, the Lviv Summit, & Why It Matters

Brave1 is Ukraine’s governmental defence-technology cluster, established in April 2023, under the direction of the Ministry of Digital Transformation together with other arms of government (Ministry of Defence, Strategic Industries, Economy). Its mission is to accelerate development and deployment of defence technology, connecting innovators, startups, military needs, investors and infrastructures. 

The Defense Tech Valley 2025 summit was co-organised by Brave1 and the Ministry of Digital Transformation. Its goal is to bring to the forefront battlefield-proven and dual-use technologies from Ukraine, to connect them with global investors, to scale up defence innovation in the context of ongoing war, and to help Ukraine become a hub of real-time military tech development. 

When & Where

• Dates: September 16-17, 2025 (reporting embargoed until today)

  
  

• Location: Lviv, Ukraine 

  
  

• Scale: Over 5,000 participants including investors, startups, defense firms, military and tech practitioners from Ukraine, Europe, the US, Middle East, Asia. 

Key Themes & Agenda

Several core focus areas and structures were laid out for the summit:

1. Battle Proven Competition

   
   

   • Open to Ukrainian defence and dual-use startups whose technology is already deployed at the front or can be deployed within one year. 

     
     

   • Has three categories: Trail Blazers (pre-seed), Gamechangers (already working in combat conditions), Power Players (larger teams scaling influence). 

     
     

   • 30 teams were chosen to present their solutions to investors and compete for a prize fund. 

   
   

2. Focus on Battle-Proven / Deployed Innovations

   
   

   • Emphasis is on technologies already field-tested or imminently deployable. Unmanned systems, AI, battlefield hardware/software, dual-use tech were heavily featured. 

     
     

   • The summit aimed to reflect “modern warfare doctrine” — asymmetric, tech-driven, adaptive. 

   
   

3. Investment & Scaling

   
   

   • The event was not just for showcase; it sought to mobilise capital and create sustainable partnerships. Investors from many regions are expected.

   • For Ukrainian defence innovators, this is also a chance to move from small-scale or local usage to broader adoption or even export.

   
   

4. Global Participation & Partnerships

   
   

   • Involvement of international actors (investors, defense firms) is a key component. Ukraine sees her defence tech not only as nationally vital but with global relevance.

   • The summit is positioned as “soft landing” for foreign partners interested in cooperating with or investing in Ukrainian solutions. 

Highlights

The following were amongst the many items of interest at the summit:

• New product launches or demonstrations — especially of UAVs, AI-powered systems, robotics, cyber & situational awareness tools. Tech that has been “battle tested” drew particular attention.

  
  

• Investment announcements / funding rounds for startups.

  
  

• Policy & regulatory clarifications from the government side, including how defence procurement, export, certification, and funding would align for fast deployment.

  
  

• Networking across sectors — bringing together military end-users who understand real battlefield requirements, with technologists and financiers who can deliver solutions.

  
  

• International collaboration on co-development, joint R&D efforts, and the hope of later foreign governments committing to support or purchase.

Significance for Ukraine & Beyond

• Accelerated defense tech scaling: Ukraine is under pressure on multiple fronts; improving speed of innovation to match battlefield needs is not theoretical but essential. Summits like this help shorten the gap between development and deployment.

  
  

• Building global prestige & trust in Ukrainian tech: success stories and performance on the front lines give Ukrainian innovations credibility, which can translate into foreign investment, adoption, export markets.

  
  

• Economic & industrial growth: Beyond war, a thriving defence tech sector can seed fund broader industrial, tech, and scientific growth, local jobs, export revenues.

  
  

• Security & preparedness: Ukraine is not alone in facing threats, including hybrid or asymmetric ones. Defence innovation ecosystems may serve as models or partners for other nations.