Women in Defense Tech

We’re excited to announce the launch of Careers in Defense - a new highly curated job platform for Europe’s defense, security, and defense-tech ecosystem. As Europe’s defense landscape evolves, the demand for exceptional talent across engineering, technology, operations, and business functions is growing rapidly. At the same time, many of the most innovative companies in the sector still face a clear challenge: finding the right people with the right expertise. Careers in Defense was created to help close that gap. The platform connects highly qualified professionals with companies across defense, security, and adjacent technology fields, including aerospace, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, robotics, autonomous systems, and advanced engineering. For employers, it offers targeted access to talent and a way to position their brand within the defense community. For candidates, it provides a dedicated space to discover relevant opportunities in one of Europe’s fastest-growing sectors. This is an important step in strengthening the talent pipeline for the European defense ecosystem, and we’re proud to support it through Women in Defense Tech. Get in touch with us to find out more!

Working on reducing the distance between European defence ecosystems and real operational knowledge. At Women in Defense Tech, we believe that stronger European capabilities are built through closer exchange between industry, decision-makers and those operating technologies in real conditions. We are glad to partner with Deep Tech Momentum this year ⚔️

A leader who moved from scaling ecommerce businesses across Southeast Asia and Europe to supporting Ukraine’s resilience through civil society and defense innovation. Welcome Lola Onipko as our Women in Defense Tech Role Model! 🔘 Dear Lola, what made you move from business into civil society? Lola: At some point, corporate work stopped feeling meaningful. I found my purpose working with women entrepreneurs through acceleration programs. When the full-scale invasion started, I focused on supporting Ukrainian women relocating to CEE through professional integration projects before co-founding Invest in Bravery, partly by design, partly by circumstance. For many Ukrainians like myself, civil society is where values translate into action. It has always been one of Ukraine’s core strengths: active, engaged, and essential to driving resilience and change. It’s one reason Ukraine was able to defend itself and continues to do so. I guess it’s in our DNA, and I wish I had stepped into this space earlier. 🔘 What gap did Invest in Bravery set out to close between Ukrainian founders and international investors? Lola: On one side, Ukrainian founders are building breakthrough tech at extreme speed, validated in battlefield conditions. On the other, international capital is looking for this kind of innovation but lacks a safe, trusted way to access it. IInvest in Bravery bridges that gap by connecting defense innovation with international capital. But it goes beyond matchmaking. We’re building the infrastructure layer between Ukraine and Europe: trusted relationships, context, cultural translation, market navigation, and validated access. I believe Ukraine is shaping a model of European security: faster, leaner, and more resilient. 🔘 What do international investors still need to understand about Ukrainian defense tech? Lola: International investors still underestimate the speed and depth of what’s being built in Ukraine. Founders are building and iterating in combat conditions, creating speed, resilience, and validation you can’t replicate in a lab. It goes beyond the products: co-creation with the military, live feedback loops, manufacturing agility, and an innovation mindset shaped by constraints and urgency. These systems can’t be copied, only integrated. To access this opportunity properly, investors need local context, trusted relationships, and a long-term view, not a transactional approach. 🔘 Considering your rich background, what is your advice to women entering the defense sphere? Lola: Don’t try to “fit” the system. Women bring a strong edge: anticipating risks early, spotting what others miss, and driving clearer, more collaborative decisions. You’ll face resistance and biases, but that’s not unique to defense. What matters is staying close to real problems, building credibility through execution and relationships, and growing your expertise. Don’t get distracted by noise. Confidence comes from doing the work, not from waiting to feel ready.

🇦🇹 Together with Female Founders Founders, Women in Defense Tech will host a round table on “Women in Critical Infrastructure and Defense Tech” at FFX Vienna on 19 May. We are honoured bringing together brilliant women working across defense tech, space, infrastructure, and security to exchange on how Europe strengthens resilience in an increasingly complex geopolitical environment. Please welcome the panelists: 🔘Dr. Antonella Mei-Pochtler, Member of the Advisory Board, European Forum Alpbach Chairwoman, KofiAnnanAward for Innovation in Africa of the Austrian Federal Chancellery 🔘Claudia Fiorentino, Senior Satellite System Development Engineer, European Space Agency - ESA; Security Officer, Directorate of Connectivity and Secure Communications 🔘Dr. Luisa Buinhas, Co-Founder and Chief Program Officer, Vyoma 🔘Dr. Ina Dorothee von Haeften, Co-Founder and Head of Operations, Ewigbyte 🔘Dr. Eveline M. Beer, CEO and Co-Founder Women in Defense Tech With moderation by: Yuliya Maltseva, Co-Founder, Women in Defense Tech 📍 FFX Vienna 📅 19 May 2026 16:45–17:30 The Social Hub Vienna If you would like to join us in Vienna, reach out to us for discounted tickets available for our community.

We are glad to introduce Lyuba Shipovich as our Women in Defense Tech Role Model — a leader who, since the 2013 Revolution of Dignity, has moved from mobilizing global support for Ukraine and working with members of Congress to building real defense tech capabilities on the front lines. 🔘 Dear Lyuba, how did this path become your internal choice? Lyuba: I couldn’t stay away when the Revolution of Dignity started. Ukraine was at a turning point. Technology has always been part of my path, I have a software background and built my career in IT, so it naturally became part of my volunteering and later charity work. In 2014, we already started sending simple civilian drones to Ukraine. In 2022, it became clear that a smaller country cannot withstand a larger one with human resources alone. We needed an asymmetric response, and technology became that answer. Early on, civilian tools like drones, tablets, and radios helped Ukraine hold the line, even without sufficient Western support. At Dignitas Ukraine, we focus fully on technological support for the Armed Forces: training, supplying solutions, and driving adoption of both dual-use and military technologies. 🔘 In Ukraine, NGOs like Dignitas act as a bridge between technology developers and the military. How did this model emerge? Lyuba: This model is unusual, as traditionally the state handles procurement and training. But in a full-scale war, speed becomes critical. Governments in democratic countries are structured and procedural, which is important, but not always fast enough. This is where civil society steps in. NGOs help close gaps: we test solutions quickly, adapt them to battlefield conditions, and scale what works. We can experiment, fail fast, and validate technologies in real conditions. Once proven effective, we advocate for their adoption at a larger scale. A similar dynamic was seen during COVID-19, when civil actors moved faster than governments. In Ukraine, this model became essential for survival. 🔘 When did you first see that autonomous systems were becoming decisive? Lyuba: While drones were used since 2014, in 2022 it became clear that technology would define survival. The war is a constant competition of speed and innovation. Both sides are adapting rapidly. Our role at Dignitas is to ensure Ukrainian forces stay ahead by continuously introducing and scaling new solutions. 🔘 Which 2–3 technologies currently have the greatest impact on the Ukrainian military? Lyuba: FPV drones have significantly reshaped the battlefield, partially compensating for shortages in artillery. Sea drones became a game changer, enabling Ukraine to effectively neutralize much of Russia’s Black Sea fleet. Ground robots are increasingly important for logistics, evacuation, and demining, allowing soldiers to operate more safely. Interceptor drones also add a new layer to air defense, enabling the interception of targets at a much lower cost than traditional systems.

Honored to introduce our Women in Defense Tech Role Model – Dr. Christiane Stieber! 🔘 Dear Christiane, at Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) you train crisis readiness: What brought you to this field of work? Christiane: THW has a structure that is unique worldwide, as 98 percent of its members are volunteers. Our volunteers go into dangerous and demaning crisis situations entirely of their own free will to rescue and assist others. My motivation is to provide these people with the best possible training and, thereby, the greatest possible safety in their work. 🔘 What does civil protection mean and how it fits into the new European security architecture? Christiane: THW has a statutory mandate for civil protection. For us, this means providing technical assistance in civil defence, local hazard response, and conducting international missions. In a rapidly changing world marked by various natural disasters caused by climate chance and a geopolitical landscape that grows more unpredictable by the day, it is all the more important to focus on existing capabilities and adapt to new threats. Europe’s security architecture is also subject to new threats and political upheavals that are difficult to predict. As a powerful and geographically central country, the Federal Republic of Germany plays a vital role in European defense. This makes it a particular target for potential adversaries. Civil defense must be and will be capable of countering the effects of attacks carried out with modern weaponry and across all dimensions. 🔘 “Resilience” is widely used in policy debates, what does it look like in practice inside institutions, and where are the biggest gaps? Christiane: For me, it means becoming more resilient in the face of crises and disasters, both as an individual and as an organization. Each and every one of us must ask ourselves: Am I prepared for power outages, water shortages, medical emergencies that cannot be addressed immediately, etc.? Do I have emergency supplies at home, and are my most important documents—within easy reach? Resilience is a mindset. Bringing everybody to prepare for future emergencies is what matters most right now. Continue reading in the comments ⬇️

🇦🇹 We’re bringing Women in Defense Tech to Vienna. On 19 May, Women in Defense Tech will host a round table at FFX Vienna focused on Women in Critical Infrastructure and Defense Tech. We’re glad to be part of FFX Vienna and to support the mission of Female Founders, one of Europe’s leading communities supporting female entrepreneurs. Founded by Nina Wöss and Lisa-Marie Fassl, the initiative has also launched Fund F , a venture capital fund investing in teams with at least one female co-founder, contributing to a stronger and more diverse innovation ecosystem in Europe. At a time when resilience is in the spotlight, this conversation will look at how Europe builds and sustains mission-critical capabilities across sectors. From digital trust and public safety to sovereign systems and industrial innovation, the discussion will focus on what it takes to operate and scale in an increasingly complex environment. Stay tuned for the list of our panel participants! If you’d like to join us in Vienna, reach out to us to receive a limited number of discounted tickets. Huge thanks to Natascha Fürst and team for having us!

Strengthening our team across defence and venture: Christina F. joins Women in Defense Tech 🔘 Christina joins as our Finance & Capital Associate, bringing a strong focus on the intersection of defense technology and venture capital across Ukraine and the broader Euro-Atlantic ecosystem. With a background spanning strategic operations, research, government relations, and due diligence, she brings both analytical depth and a well-developed transatlantic network. American-born and raised in Ukraine, she brings a first-hand understanding of the urgency of European rearmament and defense innovation, shaped by her experience of the Russo-Ukrainian War since 2014. Christina holds a BA from Yale University and an MPhil from St. Edmund Hall, University of Oxford, and works across English and Ukrainian-speaking environments, connecting stakeholders across defense, government, and venture communities. Within Women in Defense Tech, she is particularly focused on strengthening connections between investors, founders, and policy actors across the UK, US, Europe, and Ukraine. She is also passionate about elevating the role and visibility of women shaping Europe’s security landscape, and contributing to the growth of our presence in London and across the transatlantic ecosystem. Welcome, Christina – we are looking forward to growing together!

🇧🇪 We’re joining La French Tech Brussels as a community partner on May 21st. Their upcoming event, “David vs. Goliath: How (Startup) Innovators Are Fighting to Transform Europe’s Defense System,” is a breakfast discussion in Brussels bringing together startups, industry leaders, investors, and institutional stakeholders to examine how innovation is entering and reshaping the European defense sector. The agenda covers some of the most pressing questions in the space today: how startups engage with defense procurement, where funding for defense innovation is heading, how collaboration with the military can work in practice, and who will build the next generation of European defense capability. The morning will bring together voices from European institutions, defense leadership, finance, industry, and scaling companies working on concrete technologies, including counter drone systems. If you’d like to attend, message us to receive a promo code 🎟️

🇸🇪🇩🇰🇳🇴🇫🇮🇮🇸 We’re proud to be a strategic partner of Resilience Conference Copenhagen by Resilience Media, convening founders, investors, military leaders, and industry operators shaping defence and security across the Nordics and Europe. With the Nordic region playing an increasingly important role in Europe’s defence landscape, the conference focuses on real deployment, partnerships, and scaling capabilities in high-trust, high-tech environments. Expect high-signal panels, focused conversations, and curated networking designed to connect innovation with operational needs. 👉 Want to join? Use code [widtcph25] for a discounted ticket as part of the Women in Defense Tech community. We look forward to seeing you in Copenhagen.