UK-UA TechExchange, two years on

In turn, TechExchange has broadened its scope, now serving as a forum for open dialogue and collaboration around key issues affecting the war in Ukraine. It seeks to unite stakeholders who can go beyond identifying problems and potential solutions alone, but also have the capability to drive forward action plans that will have a real impact on Ukraine’s future. The ultimate goal is to lay a path for Ukrainian founders to commercialise their technologies, putting the defence industry at the heart of Ukraine’s recovery. However, the core purpose remains the same: save lives and protect future peace.
The opportunity found in Ukraine’s wartime innovation stretches far beyond its own borders. As the Strategic Defence Review highlighted, only by making the UK a leading tech-enabled defence power will we be prepared for the reality of modern-day warfare – expertise which Ukraine has in abundance. Therefore, TechExchange also aims to promote the UK’s access to cutting-edge Ukrainian technologies that will underpin its national resilience.

We have continued to build on the success achieved during the first year of the programme, raising the profile of our existing cohort, Kvertus, Skyeton, and FoxFour, while also welcoming new companies to the programme – Huless, Blacksea Associates and Drone Space.

As TechExchange continues to evolve and grow, we're proud to see a strong network taking shape, already fostering real collaboration between the UK and Ukraine.

In 2025, TechExchange also published a research paper titled "The Role of Technology in Demining Ukraine."

Ukraine is now the most heavily mined country in the world, with over 139,300 square kilometres of land contaminated by explosive remnants of war (Ministry of Economy, Government of Ukraine). This crisis has a devastating impact, causing over a thousand civilian casualties and an estimated $11.2 billion in annual GDP loss, largely due to agricultural land being unusable.

This paper interviewed experts from across the demining industry, including the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI), Disarmco, Transimpex, Fenix Insight, and Dropla Tech, outlining the pathway for utilising cutting-edge technology to safely expedite the demining process.

Over the past year, TechExchange has hosted a series of bespoke events designed to advance the programme's mission and the companies in its cohort. Here are a few highlights:


DECEMBER 2024
We hosted the Defencetech Trends Investor Breakfast at Digital Catapult in London, alongside FieldHouse Associates and NOTWICS. With a panel discussion featuring Karl Eze, Co-Founder and CEO of Point Zenith, Will McManners, Managing Partner at MD One Ventures and Steven Wood, Head of Industry Practice a Digital Catapult, we explored the latest investment opportunities in defence for the year ahead.

FEBRUARY 2025
In another collaboration with FieldHouse Associates and NOTWICS, TechExchange hosted a private dinner at The Rag - Army & Navy Club. Bringing together defence investors, founders, policymakers, and primes, the dinner facilitated candid conversations about how to strengthen commercial ties between the UK and Ukrainian defence sectors and help Ukrainian innovators access the UK market.

APRIL 2025
TechExchange joined forces with techUK in April to host "Ukrainian frontline dispatch: The defence technology that really works". Featuring a showcase of Kvertus’ anti-drone technologies and a fireside chat between Jeremy Wimble, Defence Programme Manager at techUK, Yaroslav Filimonov and Serhii Skoryk, the event explored the lessons learnt from the battlefield in Ukraine and how the drone threat will soon be a problem requiring protective measures across Europe.

ALSO IN APRIL
TechExchange partnered with The D Group to host an exclusive dinner event focused on peacekeeping and security in the age of hybrid warfare and open borders. Bringing together a group of highly esteemed guests, the dinner included a showcase of Kvertus’ Project Atlas and a keynote from Lieutenant General Sir Charlie Stickland.

MAY 2025
Andriy took to the stage alongside Dr Christian Trapp and Daniel Lubin as part of the Defence Investing roundtable at SFO Week, exploring all things DefenceTech funding and why European investors should look to Ukraine for world-leading examples of innovation.

ALSO IN MAY
UK-Ukraine TechExchange joined Estonian Embassy’s #Walk4Ukraine gala in London, where business leaders, diplomats, and supporters gathered to raise vital funds for Ukraine’s war effort. Hosted by Ambassador Viljar Lubi at Christ Church Spitalfields, the event raised over £50,000 for British-Ukrainian Aid to supply armoured ambulances to the front lines. UK-Ukraine TechExchange, pledged to equip these vehicles with world-leading anti-drone electronic warfare (EW) technology developed by Ukrainian company Kvertus, a member of TechExchange cohort.

Throughout the year, Andriy has dedicated much of his time attending events across the UK, including BRAVE1’s VCs for the Ukrainian DefenceTech event at the Ukrainian Embassy, the Defence Infrastructure Conference hosted by the UK Ministry of Defence, the London Defence Conference and many more. Members of the wider TechExchange team recently attended TechBBQ in Copenhagen, where unsurprisingly, every session on EIFO’s ‘Defence and Dual-use Stage’ mentioned Ukraine.

From its inception to now, TechExchange has evolved from an idea into a powerful network that is actively shaping the future of European security. As we look to the future, we remain dedicated to uniting the best in technology, policy, and investment to ensure Ukraine's recovery is driven by innovation and that the lessons learned on the battlefield are applied to secure a safer world for everyone.