Former Ukrainian official Mykhailo Fedorov has launched the Army of Robots initiative at the IT Arena conference in Lviv. The project aims to integrate robotic systems into military operations to minimize human risk. The initiative is currently seeking engineers, defencetech companies, and a CTO to lead the development of various autonomous technologies.
The Army of Robots will function as an ecosystem for developing and testing military hardware. Plans include investing in startups, launching proprietary projects, and building R&D capabilities. The initiative builds upon the Army of Drones project, which launched in 2022 and currently involves over 700 UAV manufacturers, with drones accounting for more than 95 percent of strikes.
The project aligns with a new defence technology investment fund announced in August. This fund, which counts Palantir CEO Alex Karp as its lead investor, focuses on battlefield robotics, jet-powered interceptor drones, and AI-powered missiles. The goal is to shorten the cycle between identifying battlefield needs and deploying effective technology at scale.
The initiative is part of a broader strategy to accelerate innovation, including the TrophyLab platform launched in June. TrophyLab provides researchers and companies with access to captured Russian military hardware for analysis and countermeasure development. This allows startups to study adversary equipment directly, aiming to reduce R&D cycles for autonomous platforms and sensors.
