Partnering with Kela: Modern Defense for Israel and Western Allies
One year ago, sitting with Alon Dror at a cafe in Tel Aviv, I was captivated by a vision of an Israel ascendant: Reclaiming deterrence at home, and lending support to allies abroad. Alon, an elite graduate of Israel’s Talpiot program (think West Point meets MIT), saw a future in which Israel not only channeled its startup talent back into domestic defense — an urgent priority after October 7th — but also unleashed these “Technowarriors” to defend the US, NATO, and the Western Alliance itself. Could Israel — with its technology expertise and mandatory draft — become a secret weapon for the West, as it prepares for a new world order?
Today, Alon’s vision of building a modern defense tech company based in Israel is becoming a reality. Co-founder Hamutal Meridor, the former head of Palantir Israel, brings a wealth of expertise in startups and government sales. The duo has recruited a team of exceptional engineers. And the team has executed with incredible velocity, getting their first projects into the field in just under seven months. We are proud to announce $39m in funding from Sequoia and Lux:
WSJ: Silicon Valley Invests in Israeli Startups in Bid for U.S. Defense Market: CIA’s venture-capital arm is among the investors in Kela, a firm where ‘techno-warriors’ aim to sell directly to the Pentagon
Sequoia Blog: Four veterans of elite intelligence units, including the former General Manager of Palantir Israel, are building an innovative new defense prime, starting with border protection. Their vision is to leverage Israel’s unique cadre of “technowarriors” to help defend the Western world order.