Ukrainian recon drone maker Buntar raises $16 million

Buntar Aerospace, a Ukrainian maker of reconnaissance drones and battlefield AI software, has raised $16 million to expand production and enter foreign markets, bringing its total funding to $30 million.

The round was led by Freedom Fund VC and an international private equity fund that the company did not name. Gardar Venture Capital, Iron Wolf Capital and Autonomy Capital also took part, Buntar said in an announcement on Oct. 5.

The Kyiv-based company was founded in August 2023 by Ivan Kaunov, Kateryna Bezsudna and Bohdan Sas. It builds two main products: the Buntar-3 reconnaissance drone and Buntar Copilot, an AI assistant that helps drone operators plan missions and make decisions in combat. Buntar says both are in use with frontline units across Ukraine and generate steady, fast-growing revenue.

Buntar-3 is an electric drone that takes off and lands vertically, so it does not need a runway or catapult. According to the company, it can stay airborne for up to four hours and navigate without satellite signals, which matters on a front where Russian electronic warfare routinely jams GPS and radio links. The company introduced the system publicly in 2025, describing it as a full reconnaissance system run through its own software platform.

The drone has been used to direct long-range strikes. In March 2026, operators from the 414th Separate Unmanned Strike Aircraft Brigade, known as Madyar’s Birds, used a Buntar-3 to provide reconnaissance and fire correction for a Ukrainian strike with SCALP cruise missiles and ATACMS ballistic missiles on a Russian Shahed drone base at Donetsk Airport. In July, the company added a feature that lets operators fly Buntar-3 over the internet from hundreds of kilometers away, with a small forward team launching the aircraft and then leaving the area.

Buntar plans to spend the new money on research and development, further work on Copilot, more production capacity and hiring experienced engineers and managers. The company said demand from the Armed Forces of Ukraine keeps growing. It also plans to expand abroad with dual-use products, including civilian applications.

Buntar says it is moving from a single product to a wider lineup covering reconnaissance, counter-drone systems and support for precision strikes.

“Our systems can fly, see and make decisions on their own, so that people can focus on what matters most. This is what Ukraine needs today, and what Europe must be ready for tomorrow,” said Bohdan Sas, co-founder of Buntar Aerospace.

Earlier this year, Buntar raised $10.4 million in a round led by U.S. company Axon Enterprise, best known as the maker of the Taser.