Innovators in defense and security technologies will gather in Prague from June 3 to 8 for the debut edition of Prague Defense Tech Week (PDTW). Organized by VC fund Presto Tech Horizons, the Invest in Bravery initiative, and the European Defense Tech Hub, this marks the first event of its kind in the Czech Republic. The week will focus on connecting technologies, talent, and partnerships shaping the future of defense.

PDTW aims to connect defense tech startups, investors, technology leaders, and the public sector, while underscoring the necessity of investing in resilience and defense capabilities. The week’s key events include the Invest in Bravery Summit at the Czernin Palace and the European Defense Tech Hackathon, where early builders and top European innovators in defense and security will gather to create prototypes with immediate real-world applications. The full Prague Defense Tech Week program is available at pdtw.cz.

“We’re here for what gets built. PDTW is about turning potential and ideas into impact. Presto supports hands-on formats like the Hackathon because that’s where momentum starts – when people roll up their sleeves and tackle real-world problems. Within 48 hours, you see what’s worth the code, what should be scrapped, and critical know-how gets shared with everyone,” explains Vojta Rocek, Partner at Presto Tech Horizons, one of the event’s organizers. “They say that when the winds of change blow, some build walls, others build windmills. We’re here to help the windmill builders run at full speed.”

PDTW partners and co-organizers include the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the newly launched Defence Hub by CzechInvest, defense tech accelerators like NATO DIANA, Defence Builder, or AB3 Tech, as well as UAC, a leading Czech-Ukrainian developer of advanced military drones, and other partners from the innovation and investment landscape, such as international law firm Pierstone, venture tech builder Creative Dock, and community platform Startup Disrupt. The Recursive will also be reporting from the defense tech week, with our editor Teodora Atanasova joining onsite. 

Building The Future of Defense Tech

“The future of defense is being shaped by agile startups, not legacy contractors. Ukrainian founders are building and deploying on the front lines, creating tech with real-world impact,” says Lola Onipko, co-founder of the Invest in Bravery initiative, who is bringing a 40-member Ukrainian delegation to Prague. “Prague Defense Tech Week is where that experience meets opportunity, connecting them with international partners to scale impact and strengthen collective security.”

High-profile guests will include Joel Noutere from the NATO Innovation Fund (NIF), Ihor Fedirko, CEO of the Ukrainian Council of Defence Industry (UCDI), and a range of battle-tested Ukrainian founders and mentors, such as Serhii Kupriienko of Swarmer, an AI-based mission control center for coordinated drones, or Denys Nikolayenko from Oko Camera, a startup that builds thermal imaging cameras for unmanned systems.

Also traveling to Prague will be former investment banker turned combat medic Viktoriia Honcharuk from the 3rd Assault Brigade, one of the most effective units in the Ukrainian military, as well as Olha Prudka, representing Diia City, a breakthrough project from Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation.

Speakers at the Invest in Bravery Summit will include Tomáš Kopecný, Czech Government Envoy for the Reconstruction of Ukraine, Vasyl Zvarych, Ukrainian Ambassador to the Czech Republic, and Jan Kavalírek, Czech Government Envoy for AI.