Lior Handelsman on The Rise of Defense Tech Startups and The Role of VCs (Hebrew)

Grove Ventures General Partner Lior Handelsman was recently interviewed by Calcalist, where he shared his insights on the growing wave of Defense Tech Startups emerging in Israel. Reservists returning from the battlefield are founding many of these ventures. With firsthand experience in the urgent technological needs of modern warfare, they are now turning their expertise into innovative defense solutions.

Since October 7, Lior has spent a significant amount of time on reserve duty, witnessing real-time innovation on the front lines. Soldiers and engineers in the field are not only identifying critical operational gaps but are also developing cutting-edge technologies on the spot—from advanced defense software to hardware solutions tailored for modern combat. As a result, an entirely new sector of Defense Tech Startups is rapidly emerging, attracting the attention of top-tier global investors who recognize Israel’s unique ability to produce groundbreaking solutions in this space.

“Right now, everything is happening incredibly fast. In the last two months alone, I have seen over 20 startups in the defense sector,” Lior told Calcalist.

As the intersection of military expertise and deep-tech innovation continues to accelerate, Israel is positioning itself as a global leader in Defense Tech—a development that has not gone unnoticed by the world’s best VCs, who are actively seeking opportunities in this space.

👉 Read the full article (in Hebrew) on Calcalist:
🔗 https://www.calcalist.co.il/calcalistech/article/r1iyvi95c