We announce a new project in our ecosystem — Defender Media, a media platform dedicated to covering the business side of Ukraine’s defence tech industry.

What is Defender Media?

Defender Media is a new online publication dedicated to defence and military innovations. The goal of the new media is to become the main source of information for the global audience regarding the Ukrainian defence tech industry. Among other things, the new platform will aim to help Ukrainian startups attract investment and connect with international partners. That is why Defender Media will publish materials in two languages from the start — English and Ukrainian.

Why is this important?

Global defense spending reached a record $2.2 trillion in 2024, with countries actively investing in AI, drones, cybersecurity, and electronic warfare, according to the Washington post. Ukraine, with its battlefield-driven innovation, has become one of the most dynamic hubs for defense technology.

According to the Brave1, over the past three years, more than 1,500 companies developing cutting-edge military technologies have emerged in Ukraine. Investments in Ukrainian defense startups exceeded $50 million in 2024, and this figure is expected to grow to $100 million by 2025.

Defender Media team

Defender Media is led by a super experienced team:

• Den Smyrnov – an experienced media strategist and product lead with a background in developing content-driven platforms. He was a part of UNIT.City, Ukrainian FinTech Association, and Newsfront PR Agency, specializing in digital media growth, strategic communications, and ecosystem development.

• Roman Sudolsky –  is a seasoned journalist and media manager with extensive experience covering technology and investment topics. He has worked as a tech editor at Forbes Ukraine, and Editor-in-Chief at AIN and Speka.media.

• Nik Zharov – a communications expert with extensive experience in international PR and media strategy, blogger on X (ex-Twitter) with 10K followers. He has worked with United24Media, 42DM, and Fedoriv Agency, focusing on global media relations, brand positioning, and ecosystem communications.

At Sigma Software Labs, we don’t just invest – we support founders and teams who build impactful businesses. We believe that the best ideas often come from within, and we make sure they get the backing they need to grow. That’s how Defender Media started: the team had the vision and expertise, and we provided the resources, mentorship, and early backing to help them get started.

“We are actively developing defence tech expertise, investing in both strategic and more public defence companies, and last year we co-founded Defence Builder accelerator, which is already preparing the second batch of teams. At the same time, we see a big gap in the information field. There is a lack of specialized publications to help key players navigate the Ukrainian defence industry and integrate it into the global context. Since in our Group we always support internal entrepreneurship and look for new ideas for investment, Defender Media became a logical complement to our ecosystem. That’s why we decided to support this project.”

Daria Yaniieva, Head of Defence at Sigma Software Group and Investment Director at Sigma Software Labs

“Defender Media will maintain its independence and unique editorial approach. This platform will help create a transparent investment ecosystem for Ukrainian defense startups.”

Roman Sudolskyy, Editor-in-Chief of Defender Media