SOSA Innofense: The Defense-Tech Accelerator Generating Business for Startups with Defense & HLS Clients
The accelerator fosters business collaborations between startups and the IDF, DDR&D, and the Ministry of Defense. Participants gain 200,000 NIS without equity, a design partner from the IDF, and access to international network. Registration is now open
In a world where the Defense Tech market is reaching a boiling point, with governments injecting massive budgets and giant corporations seeking innovative technologies for their portfolios, a new cohort of the SOSA Innofense accelerator has opened in Israel.
This groundbreaking program, a collaboration between the Ministry of Defense, DDR&D (Directorate of Defense Research & Development), and various IDF branches, offers startups a unique opportunity to establish themselves in the global defense market.
The Accelerator Offers a Unique Combination: Grant, Client, and Global Network
The accelerator provides an exceptional package: 200,000 NIS grant requiring no equity, direct guidance from a Design Partner within the defense sector, and exposure to SOSA’s global client network. In this six-month program, held in Tel Aviv, startups receive close support from the idea stage through to a full Proof of Concept (POC) with a designated client who is ultimately expected to acquire the technology.
"Placing the startup at the center of the program, surrounded by a direct Design Partner and all of SOSA's other clients, provides them with a broad Go-to-Market for potential clients and partners," explains Col. (Res) Duddy Rokach, General Partner in the HLS Tech innovation program at SOSA. "It’s a high-level program with senior mentors, including military and defense establishment veterans, venture capitalists, and defense industries."
The program is also open to international startups, serving as a direct, fast-tracked pathway to engage with DDR&D and the IDF, bypassing bureaucracy and maintaining full protection of the companies' intellectual property without dilution.
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Sosa & Brinker wins at the event of Ruble Innovation and Israel Defense
(photo: Gali Shurer)
Success Stories Proving the Accelerator's Effectiveness
The numbers speak for themselves: Over 30% of program graduates have received follow-up orders from DDR&D totaling over 18 million NIS, and they have collectively raised half a billion dollars. Notable success stories include DECI AI, which completed the program with the Ministry of Defense and was subsequently acquired by NVIDIA for approximately $300 million.
Wonder Robotics, specializing in autonomous navigation solutions for drones, conducted two additional POCs with new clients after the program, raised $3 million with SOSA's support, and ultimately secured a project with DDR&D and the IDF. Wonder Robotics stated: "The crucial support, guidance, and opportunities we received from SOSA transformed Wonder Robotics from a visionary startup into a thriving company."
Tip&Cue successfully completed a POC with DDR&D and the Israeli Air Force, executed a project in the United States, and secured significant funding. Tip&Cue also received investment from SOSA Ventures, SOSA’s investment arm.
Matan Goldner, Co-founder and CEO of Conntour - a startup for natural language video analysis - shares his experience: "I heard about Duddy and SOSA since my early days in the industry. I immediately understood that they were a handful of people truly leading the Defense & HLS sector. Twenty minutes into our meeting, Duddy and the team made a connection that changed the face of our company: we secured a government client, which helped us get accepted into Y Combinator, and then raise a seed round from some of the world’s leading funds."
SOSA: Creating Business Collaborations Between Startups and Global Governments and Corporations
Behind the accelerator's success stands SOSA - an international company that has become the world's first international homeland security innovation hub of its kind. Since its founding in 2014, the company operates with a global network including offices in Tel Aviv, New York, Brazil, and Singapore, specializing in creating business collaborations between startups and the world's largest organizations.
"We specialize in bringing innovative technologies to market, and we come with decades of experience from multiple partners and an expert team," explains Rokach. "Anyone representing the market is our client - and our ability to validate a startup for the defense market is much higher than any other entity's capability."
SOSA also operates in insurance, banking, energy, and industry sectors, with clients including leading companies such as HP, LG, the Singapore government which chose SOSA as its partner to establish an innovation center for the Ministry of Home Affairs, and government organizations worldwide including Brazil, the US, Canada, Spain, and Japan.
SOSA Ventures, SOSA's investment fund, invests in technology startups, focusing on solutions that integrate artificial intelligence into the industrial and manufacturing world, and dual-use technologies relevant to the defense market.
The numbers speak for themselves: the New York accelerator specializing in introducing startups to the American market involved 380 companies from 15 different countries, with startups collectively raising $150 million. In Singapore, where the company collaborates The Hatch Innovation Center together with the government technology agency HTX, hundreds of companies from around the world participated and over 40 POCs were completed.
Duddy concludes why this matters for Israeli startups: "Because SOSA brings not only the experience, but this entire network - clients, partners, and investors who are already waiting for your new technologies."
