Tampa, Fla. (OTE) – Aliya Capital Partners and Protego Ventures
Co-Lead Strategic Series
B Round alongside participating investors: Len Blavatnik’s Claltech,
Union-Tech Ventures & Chartered Group , as XTEND’s AI Robotic
Technology Proves Itself in Global Conflicts and the Company Opens
Its New U.S. Headquarters in Tampa, Florida
XTEND , a leader in AI-powered tactical autonomous robotic
systems, today announced that Aliya Capital Partners and Protego
Ventures have co-led a strategic $30M extension to its $70M Series B
funding round, joining participating investors: Len Blavatnik’s
Claltech, Union-Tech Ventures and Chartered Group.
XTEND’s AI-powered systems are actively used by the U.S.
Department of Defense, Singapore, Europe, the UK, and the Israel
Defense Force to improve strategic capabilities and mission success
in challenging environments. With this Series B funding, XTEND plans
to scale up U.S. and global production, integrate real-time AI
capabilities across its platforms, and expand deployments with U.S.
and allied defense forces, as well as for humanitarian and emergency
response efforts.
As part of this investment, Aliya Capital Partners‘ Founding
Partner and CEO, Ross Kestin, has joined XTEND’s Board of Directors.
Kestin explains: „XTEND’s mission—to deliver cutting-edge drone and
robotics systems for high-risk, mission-critical environments—aligns
directly with our vision of supporting technologies that protect and
enhance life. We’re honored to back Aviv and his world-class team and
help accelerate the impact of their technology across defense,
security, and emergency response sectors.“
The announcement follows the grand opening of XTEND’s new U.S.
headquarters and advanced drone manufacturing facility in Tampa,
Florida, on July 1. The event brought together government, military,
and industry leaders for a ribbon-cutting ceremony, remarks from key
stakeholders, and a behind-the-scenes tour of the company’s state-of-
the-art manufacturing operations.
„The grand opening of XTEND’s Tampa facility represents more than
a physical expansion—it marks a new phase of operational scale, U.S.
engagement, and global relevance,“ said Lee Moser, Co-Founder and
General Partner of Protego Ventures. „We’re proud to support this
next chapter alongside the Aliya team.“
Lital Leshem, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Protego
Ventures, adds: „We invested in XTEND because it’s clear they are
building a category-defining platform for human-guided autonomy that
can scale fast and make an immediate impact. At a time when defense
innovation demands urgency and trust, XTEND stood out as ready to
lead.“
XTEND CEO Aviv Shapira concludes: „The successful completion of
our Series B financing highlights the surging demand for mission-
critical autonomous systems from allied defense and public safety
agencies. The investment will fuel accelerated R&D, scale
manufacturing, and global deployment expansion. That said, the
backing from Aliya and Protego isn’t just about fresh capital—it’s a
powerful vote of confidence. Ross’s experience and strategic
perspective are invaluable in navigating this pivotal growth phase.
Furthermore, opening our Tampa headquarters is a major step forward
as we continue to build cutting-edge systems that protect lives
worldwide.“
Additional investor quotes:
Avi Fischer, Chairman of Clal Industries and Claltech, says:
„When investing in companies, you typically meet the founders, the
management team, the technology—and of course, dive into the virtual
data room. But with XTEND, we did something far more important. On
our very first visit, we walked into a room with over 50 end users,
all being trained on the system. What convinced us to invest wasn’t
just the tech—it was their feedback. They spoke about how the system
has saved lives, how AI-driven training cut learning time by 99%, and
how this technology is already changing the battlefield. That’s when
we knew—we had to be part of this.“
Dr. Peter Kash, Chairman of the Board, XTEND, says: „This
milestone represents the realization of XTEND’s vision to bring our
groundbreaking technologies closer to the U.S. defense ecosystem.
With this facility, we’re laying the foundation for sustained growth,
high-tech job creation and meaningful contributions to America’s
security and industrial capabilities. I’m incredibly proud of the
team that made this moment possible, amplifying the connectivity of
Florida and the future of AI and Robotics. I am incredibly proud of
the team that made this moment possible, by helping attract blue chip
investors that are aligned with our goal to amplify the connectivity
of Florida and the future of AI and Robotics.“
Tal Recanati, Managing Director Union Tech Ventures: „Since our
investment three years ago, we’ve seen the XTEND management team
demonstrate exceptional execution and innovation. With the successful
completion of this latest financing round, XTEND is now poised to
strengthen its position as a global leader in defense technology.“
About XTEND
Founded in Israel, XTEND develops next-generation robotics and
autonomous systems powered by proprietary AI and real-time human-
guided operating software. Its platforms are engineered for precision
and safety in the world’s most complex and hazardous environments.
XTEND’s systems enable the deployment of self-reliant AI-driven
tactical robotic teams in complex and dynamic mission scenarios. The
company’s patented XOS operating system fuses the best human
intelligence and machine autonomy to enhance the operator’s
abilities, simultaneously reducing the need for direct physical
confrontation, thereby minimizing casualties and injuries. Thousands
of XTEND’s systems are already operationally deployed worldwide, and
the company is continuously developing its XOS operating system and
platforms to deliver the future of human-machine teaming to defense,
HLS, and security professionals worldwide. Find out more here .
About Aliya Capital Partners
Aliya Capital Partners is a Miami-based investment firm with deep
expertise across defense-tech, AI, autonomy, and national security.
The firm backs companies delivering meaningful and unexpected impact,
particularly at the intersection of advanced technology and global
safety.
About Protego Ventures
Protego Ventures is an Israel-based defense venture capital fund
investing in breakthrough technologies that address today’s most
urgent defense and security challenges, including drones, AI and
machine learning, sensors, aerial defense, and UAVs.
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