"Israeli startups make global plans after key role in war", 31 January 2026

The drone that tracked Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and filmed him as he lay dying, opens new tab in footage beamed around the world last October was made by Israeli startup Xtend, according to media reports, one of many such firms to get a boost from Israel's war needs...

Xtend's co-founder and CEO Aviv Shapira declined to comment on the unsourced reports, but told Reuters his company provides indoor drones to the Israeli army..

Xtend drones integrate artificial intelligence to conduct high-precision strikes, and can be operated from 9,000 kilometres (5,600 miles) away with minimal human intervention...

The Israeli Defence Force and Israeli defence ministry declined to comment on the equipment used to target Sinwar...

In less than a year and a half of war, Xtend has signed a major contract with Israel's defence ministry, raised $40 million in its second funding round in August, and signed an $8.8 million contract with the U.S. government, Shapira said...

Since the start of the war, Israel's defence ministry has been working with startups "to improve and deploy new capabilities for our forces in the field," Colonel Nir Weingold, head of planning, economics and IT at the ministry's Directorate of Defense Research & Development (DDR&D), told Reuters...

"Unfortunately, war is good for business and Israel has been a major partner," said Ayal Somech, head of growth and innovation at Boeing Israel, on a panel at the conference...