

Defense Tech in a New Era - Building, Backing and Scaling the Next Generation
Join us for a special morning bringing together founders, investors, operators, and ecosystem leaders shaping the future of Defense Tech in Israel and beyond.
Hosted by Fusion, MAFAT for Startups, and Pearl Cohen, this event will explore how the next generation of defense and deep-tech startups are being built, funded, and scaled in a rapidly changing global landscape.
We’ll discuss:
Emerging trends in Defense Tech and dual-use innovation
What investors are looking for in the sector today
Lessons from founders building in complex and regulated markets
How startups can work with governments, enterprises, and defense organizations
The opportunities created by AI, autonomy, cyber, robotics, sensing, and next-generation infrastructure
The event will feature a keynote discussion, founder conversations, and an investor panel with leading voices from the Israeli innovation ecosystem.
Agenda
Opening Hosts
Guy Katsovich - Managing Partner, Fusion
Guy Lachmann - Senior Partner, Pearl Cohen
10:00-10:30
Trends in Defense Tech - New Era of Investments
Speakers:
Maj. Chen Ben-David - Head of Innovation Section, IMOD’s DDR&D / MAFAT for Startups
Col. Yishai Kohn - Chief Integration Officer, IMOD’s DDR&D
10:30-11:15
Founders Panel
Speakers:
Dr. Ari Gargir - Founder & CEO, RedC Biotech Ltd.
Ido Baron - CEO & Co-Founder, Skapion
Michal Mor - Founder, Smart Shooter
11:15-12:00
Investors Panel
Moderator: Guy Lachmann
Panelists:
Lee Moser - Co-Founder & General Partner, Protego
Sarai Bronfeld - Partner, NFX
Yoav Knoll - Partner, Kinetica VC
Who Should Attend?
Defense Tech founders and entrepreneurs
Investors and VCs exploring dual-use technologies
Innovation leaders and operators
Government and defense ecosystem stakeholders
Deep-tech builders and researchers
Attendance is free, but registration is required due to limited capacity.