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As global conflicts intensify and military technologies evolve rapidly, Kela, an Israeli startup founded in 2024, has emerged as a major force in redefining how nations prepare for and engage in modern warfare. With a high-profile founding team, significant U.S.-based funding, and frontline insights from real conflict zones, Kela is becoming a cornerstone in the global defense tech boom. Led by Hamutal Meridor, a veteran of Palantir’s Israeli operations, the company is blending mission-driven innovation with elite technical talent drawn from Israel’s most prestigious military units.
Kela’s Mission and Rise in Global Defense Tech
In the chaos of war-torn Kyiv, Kela’s leadership made a bold decision: to learn directly from the battlefield. Hamutal Meridor and co-founder Alon Dror went to Ukraine not for a photo op, but to observe firsthand how modern conflicts are shaping the needs of military systems beyond Israel. Their experience underscored a harsh reality—global instability is no longer hypothetical, and technology must rise to meet its threats.
Meridor, who previously led Palantir’s Israeli arm, is no stranger to combining tech with national security. Her background, deeply rooted in Israeli public service and military culture, gave rise to Kela’s unique mission: to position Israel as a net exporter of military technologies. While her first startup fizzled due to a lack of personal passion, Kela is different. It blends purpose, obsession, and timing—a convergence that many entrepreneurs never reach.
Backed by $39 million in funding from Sequoia Capital and Lux Capital (notably without Israeli VC participation), and supported by the CIA’s investment arm, Kela is building what it describes as a military “operating system.” The system is modular, open, and AI-powered, designed to integrate with a wide array of sensors, radars, and decision-making tools. From field fighters to command centers, Kela’s platform enables militaries to react in real time, optimize decision-making, and adapt to rapidly shifting combat environments.
Key Developments and Strategic Insights
- Founded in July 2024, Kela already employs 25 people, drawn from elite units like Unit 81 and Talpiot.
- Its founders, including Meridor, Dror, Jason Manne, and Omer Bar-Ilan, combine high-level defense expertise with startup experience.
- The startup secured $39 million across two rounds without any Israeli VC involvement—an unusual move reflecting its U.S.-centric strategic positioning.
- The company’s product allows seamless integration of civilian tech into military systems, streamlining upgrades and battlefield adaptability.
- Meridor’s network, credibility from Palantir, and firsthand exposure to conflict zones have cemented Kela’s reputation as a “startup with a mission.”
What drives Kela isn’t just technology, but a sense of national purpose. October 7, 2023—a pivotal date in Israel’s recent security history—was a turning point for Meridor. She saw an outpouring of technological creativity from IDF reservists, many of whom later connected with her to explore startup ideas that could modernize Israel’s defense infrastructure. Kela was born from this urgency and vision.
Despite its early-stage status, Kela is already delivering its solution to undisclosed clients. Its real-time data analysis, AI integration, and modular architecture make it both adaptable and future-proof. In a defense environment where most legacy systems are sluggish and outdated, Kela offers agility, innovation, and speed—three traits that increasingly define modern warfare.
However, Meridor warns of potential over-saturation in the defense startup scene. While she acknowledges the hype, she believes that only those with real value will survive. The need for strength and deterrence, she argues, is no longer optional. “Even in peace, we must project strength,” she says.
She also critiques the VC landscape, especially in Israel, where funds often lack strong theses and fail to specialize. From her perspective at Vintage Investment Partners and now as an entrepreneur, she predicts a coming correction in the venture capital world, particularly as easy money disappears and only high-impact solutions survive.
Kela’s story is not only about defense, but about breaking barriers—technological, financial, and even gender-related. Meridor is candid about the challenges she has faced as a female founder in a male-dominated field, but her resolve, inspired by her mother and driven by urgency, powers her forward. For now, politics can wait. Meridor has a bigger mission: to redefine how nations fight and prepare for war.
What Undercode Say:
The Kela narrative taps into one of the most significant shifts in global high-tech—defense technology’s reintegration into mainstream innovation. For decades, Silicon Valley and international VCs steered clear of defense startups. Today, companies like Kela are not only embraced but strategically prioritized. This pivot reflects a seismic change in geopolitical risk tolerance and investor outlook.
Kela’s founding team is almost a case study in elite Israeli talent. Their backgrounds in Unit 81, Talpiot, and Rafael signal credibility, and their crossover between field and tech operations represents an innovation model built on end-user empathy. Instead of building in isolation, Kela’s leadership embedded themselves in the battlefield context of Ukraine—something few startups could or would do.
What sets Kela apart from competitors is not just its product, but its structural philosophy: rapid deployment, open integration, and frontline usability. These qualities matter more than ever. Modern warfare is defined by speed, adaptability, and information dominance. Kela’s system offers all three, helping forces react faster, connect disparate hardware, and deliver intelligence at the point of need.
Moreover, the absence of Israeli VCs from Kela’s cap table says more about local capital immaturity than about the startup’s strategy. American funds like Sequoia and Lux saw the scale potential, while the CIA’s early-stage investment affirms Kela’s geopolitical relevance. Israel’s ecosystem must adapt or risk losing out on its own defense innovation boom.
Kela is riding a wave—$31 billion was invested globally into defense tech in 2024, up 33% year-over-year. That figure will likely keep climbing. Investors now view defense not as a niche or compromise, but as an urgent necessity in a world increasingly shaped by conflict, cyber threats, and technological arms races.
The company’s product isn’t just another software suite—it’s a platform strategy for defense modernization. It positions Kela as a potential central nervous system for future battlefield coordination, merging commercial tech with military specificity. As AI, sensors, and decision-making apps proliferate, Kela’s open architecture can serve as the connective tissue for next-gen armies.
Finally, there’s a cultural story here. Kela reflects a generational shift in Israel’s startup ethos: from chasing consumer apps to building with purpose. Defense tech may not be glamorous, but it’s relevant, urgent, and lucrative. And thanks to entrepreneurs like Meridor, it’s also finally getting the top-tier execution it demands.
Fact Checker Results
- Kela was officially founded in July 2024 and raised $39 million in its first year—this has been corroborated through Calcalist and other tech funding databases.
- The involvement of Sequoia Capital, Lux Capital, and a CIA-linked venture arm is confirmed by multiple financial sources.
- The rise in defense tech investment post-Russia-Ukraine conflict aligns with global investment trends showing a 33% surge in 2024.
References:
Reported By: calcalistechcom_3f0b3e053dab314ebd395714
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