Sami Luukkonen of 17Tech and Line Rindvig, of Defence Builder | Photo: 17Tech
Defence Builder, a Ukrainian accelerator focused on defence technology startups, and 17Tech Oy, a Finnish defence technology accelerator and venture capital firm, have announced a strategic partnership intended to strengthen defence innovation ecosystems in both Finland and Ukraine. The organisations said the collaboration will support startups from NATO countries and combine operational experience from Ukraine’s wartime environment with Finland’s defence systems expertise.
According to the announcement, the partnership aims to create shared knowledge pathways linking Ukraine’s experience in countering Russian military operations with Finland’s work in advanced defence technologies and resilience planning. The two accelerators will combine networks, resources and access to validation environments ranging from battlefield settings in Ukraine to NATO-aligned defence structures in Europe.
17Tech brings experience in international accelerator management across 12 countries, along with access to defence forces, global contractors and an established investor network. Defence Builder contributes operational insights from Ukraine’s conflict, access to real-time battlefield feedback and the ability to support limited field testing. The organisation reports that 15 startups have participated in its first two batches, of which six have conducted battlefield testing or deployment, with nearly €4 million in soft investment commitments.
Sami Luukkonen, Chairman of the Board at 17Tech, said, “The partnership between Defense Builder and 17Tech marks a groundbreaking moment in the defense innovation ecosystem. By merging Ukraine’s modern wartime experience with Finland’s world-class deep tech expertise, we’re creating a one-of-a-kind defense technology accelerator – something truly unprecedented in today’s landscape.”
Line Rindvig, CEO of Defence Builder, said, “Ukraine is developing tomorrow’s defence technologies and sharing hard-won knowledge while fighting for its freedom. Finland understands this and knows that modern warfare is won through superior capability delivered at speed. Our purpose in partnering with 17Tech is to transform this shared knowledge into advanced innovation and a faster, more resilient collective defence – for Ukraine and Europe.”
17Tech Co-founder Antti Kosunen added, “This is truly an exciting milestone for Ukrainian, Finnish, and European defense technology. Together, we’re unlocking synergies and collaboration potential that have never before existed in the defense accelerator space.”
The collaboration includes joint events for participating startups, investor access, operational needs validation with Ukrainian and Finnish/NATO defence users, opportunities for field testing, and structured knowledge exchange to refine accelerator practices.
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