Reinventing Autonomous Drones for Emergency Response
DefendEye is developing autonomous dual-use UAV systems for both civil and military markets. Civil applications include deployment by rescue teams or critical infrastructure protection, while military use cases involve personal soldier protection or border surveillance. The system consists of a drone, a launch-tube, and a cloud-based software platform, enabling rapid threat detection and crisis response.
The inspiration for DefendEye came from founder’s James Buchheim’s personal experience in New York, where he witnessed a fire emergency delayed by the slow deployment of a drone. “It took about three minutes to get the drone in the air while firefighters were waiting for aerial situational awareness,” Buchheim recalled. “Three minutes can be a lifetime in an emergency.”
DefendEye set out to solve two fundamental problems in the drone industry: slow deployment and the need for trained operators. While conventional drones-whether military, commercial, or rescue-grade-often require minutes to unpack, power, pair, and launch, DefendEye’s system uses a sealed launch tube that stores the drone in a ready-to-fire state. Once triggered, the drone autonomously launches in under 10 seconds, completes a mission using AI-based object recognition, and returns to its launch point without any manual intervention. All of that with a device under 250 grams of weight and under 500 USD in projected final price.
“You must gather your party before venturing forth”
Since conceiving the idea, James has worked hard to assemble the best possible team to tackle the problem. He has been joined by outstanding co-founders, including:
Arne Henning (CTO) – Previously co-founded Bluvision with James, a company focused on BLE technology and IoT systems, which was acquired by HID Global in 2016. Both Arne and James have technical backgrounds and extensive experience in hardware development and sales.
Loh Weng Kheong (CAO) – Chief Aeronautical Officer, PhD in aeronautical engineering, and Assistant Professor at Oklahoma State University. He brings deep expertise in military UAV system design.
Yair “Rolly” Sagi (CPO) – Nearly 30 years of experience in Israeli security services, including serving as Deputy Head of the Israeli Security Agency (Shin Bet).
Kamil Pawlik (COO) – Former VC at Erebor Fund and current board member at Sterling Angels. He is responsible for day-to-day operations.
The team now consists of 21 people, mostly engineers, including three U.S. citizens focused on sales development-bringing together a rare mix of technical, operational, and defense expertise.
With such a strong team, raising a pre-seed round was a formality. DefendEye has secured $1.2 million from Hard2beat and Sunfish Partners – a German-Polish pre-seed fund specializing in deep tech and dual-use startups-as well as several business angels. The funds will enable the company to finalize product development and launch its initial manufacturing line.
Why have we invested?
Beyond the strength of the team, several factors convinced us to invest in DefendEye:
- Growing, Dynamic Market – The UAV sector is expanding rapidly, driven by geopolitical tensions and a growing demand for autonomous systems. The market is currently dominated by Asian suppliers, creating a clear opportunity for NATO-aligned manufacturing-especially in light of potential supply chain disruptions.
- Untapped Niche – DefendEye’s low-cost drone model opens the door to a wide range of applications, including one-time-use scenarios such as individual soldier protection (e.g., as a VVSHORAD system). This segment is currently underserved, offering strong potential for a defensible market position and differentiated technology.
- Early Validation of Value Proposition – While the company is not yet generating revenue, it has attracted significant interest from potential distributors and end-users. Live demonstrations are underway with defense forces across multiple regions, indicating strong early market traction.
- Full Tech Stack Ownership – By integrating proprietary hardware, AI, cloud infrastructure, and launch systems, DefendEye retains full control over its product and can adapt quickly to customer requirements and component market shifts. This is a key advantage over manufacturers reliant on off-the-shelf solutions.
- Multiple Exit Scenarios – The UAV and defense-tech sectors are increasingly attractive to capital markets. Companies like Anduril and Helsing demonstrate that next-generation defense capabilities can be built outside traditional defense contractors, paving the way for multiple viable exit paths.