As the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East continue to unfold, the global security landscape is undergoing a seismic shift. The nature of modern conflict is being reshaped and critical gaps in defense capabilities have been exposed.
From drone swarms and electronic warfare to GPS-denied operations and contested airspace, these theaters are not just battlegrounds, these battlegrounds are proving grounds for the next generation of military technology.
Against this backdrop, the CET Sandbox stands at the forefront of US-Israel technological collaboration, serving as a nonprofit innovation hub dedicated to advancing Critical & Emerging Technologies (CET) between Israeli start-ups and key stakeholders across the US defense, government, and industrial sectors.
Operating as a neutral bridge, the Sandbox helps Israeli innovators navigate the complex landscape of US national security and defense ecosystems, ensuring that the most promising technologies find a clear path to integration into the US ecosystem.
With a strategic focus on autonomy, counter-unmanned aerial systems (Counter-UAS), and resilient communications, the Sandbox’s mission is to accelerate the adoption of trusted solutions that enhance the US defense-industrial base while deepening bilateral innovation ties.
Heading Stateside
In late October 2025, the CET Sandbox will host an invitation-only forum in Washington, designed to foster direct engagement between Israeli defense technology start-ups and senior US stakeholders.
Twenty Israeli start-ups, most operating at Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 6 to 9 and battle-tested by the IDF in operational theaters such as Lebanon and Iran, will present their capabilities to an audience of US government agencies, defense industry primes, and leading venture investors. The forum’s format includes roundtable discussions, capability briefings, and targeted introductions, creating an environment conducive to strategic partnerships and rapid technology adoption.
The forum will bring together a diverse and influential group of participants.
From the US government and Department of War (Defense), attendees will include representatives from the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), DARPA, Army Applications Lab, US Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, and the National Guard Joint Training Directorate (J7), among others. Industry leaders such as Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems, SAIC, Crux Defense, Skyryse, RENK America, Safran Defense & Space, and Maxar will be present to explore integration opportunities.
The selected start-ups represent a cross-section of Israel’s most advanced defense technologies. Companies such as Commcrete, offering SATCOM-on-the-move solutions, and R2 Wireless, a spectrum dominance platform recognized with the Army xTechDisrupt award, exemplify the operational maturity and innovation on display. SpherePoint delivers integrated radar and communications for GPS-denied environments, while FLYZ Robotics introduces autonomous drone domes for rapid situational awareness.
Other start-ups include TipandCue’s real-time SIGINT analytics, Ottopia’s hybrid AI teleoperation platform, and Axon-Vision’s counter-UAS systems. Airwayz provides multi-drone fleet management software, LINE5 develops autonomous swarming systems, and Diffraction Limited Labs specializes in laser-based counter-UAS solutions. Black Rover’s unmanned ground systems and SharkSense Ltd.’s EMI-based drone detection round out a portfolio of start-ups poised to make a significant impact.
The CET Sandbox Forum is designed to accelerate the integration of these Israeli innovations into the US defense ecosystem. By creating direct channels for collaboration and knowledge exchange, the event aims to shorten the path from battlefield validation to US deployment.
Stress-tested technology
A senior defense official in the Trump administration told The Defense & Tech by The Jerusalem Post that the Department of War is “focused on fieldable programs.” The official will be taking part in the event in order to help identify technology and companies that can “work with and sell to” the United States government and defense industrial base.
Unlike in the United States, innovators in Israel “put on the uniform and we admire that,” he said. “There is no one who stress-tests technology more than the Israelis,” he said, adding that “only the Ukrainians are giving the Israelis a run for their money.”
According to him, among the various solutions that the US is looking primarily at energy-based technologies, autonomous, advanced composites, critical materials and structures.
“We are looking at everything, our eyes are always peeled and in some of these areas the Israelis are absolutely crushing it.”
Linda Lourie former General Counsel of the Defense Innovation Unit at the DOD, and former official at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy who will be participating at the event, told Defense & Tech by The Jerusalem Post that “America is looking for good tech…technology that will give us an advantage over our adversaries.”
Lourie, who has been working in the industry for decades, explained that Israeli start-ups have a battlefield advantage that American companies don’t necessarily have just yet. These start-ups, she said, know the needs and specifications that warfighters want.
“In Israeli tech companies, the founder and warfighter are often the same person. You have a soldier who understands during combat that he needs a certain solution, then he goes out, develops that solution, goes back into combat with it and again goes back out and refines that solution,” Lourie said.
In addition, the iteration and improvement cycles for both Israel and Ukraine, especially in regards to drone technology “is very fast. They have become very adept at that,” she added.
On the investment front, firms like Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), NightDragon, In-Q-Tel, Point72 Ventures, Fulcrum Venture Group, Outlander VC, First-In Venture Capital, and Shield Capital will engage with start-ups to assess potential for growth and scale.