Elbit acquires Bluewhite as it deepens push into AI robotics
Deal adds AI-powered ground autonomy platform with 100,000 hours of operational use, strengthening Elbit’s efforts to integrate unmanned systems across air and land domains.
Elbit Systems is accelerating its push into autonomous warfare technologies with the acquisition of Bluewhite, an Israeli developer of AI-powered off-road autonomy systems.
The transaction was completed by Elbit’s subsidiary FUSE, which acquired 100% of Bluewhite’s shares. The financial terms were not disclosed by the companies. Elbit Systems is traded on Nasdaq and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange at a valuation of around $40 billion, but did not file an official report on the transaction.
Founded in 2017 by Ben Alfi, Yair Shahar, and Aviram Shmueli, and headquartered in Tel Aviv, Bluewhite develops autonomy systems designed to convert conventional vehicles into fully autonomous platforms. Its core technology includes Pathfinder, a retrofit autonomy kit that enables vehicles to operate without human drivers, and Compass, a cloud-based fleet management system that coordinates autonomous operations at scale.
Bluewhite raised $39 million in Series C financing in January 2024, taking its total funding to $89 million. Its investors include Insight Partners, Alumni Ventures, LIP Ventures, Entrée Capital, Jesselson, and Peregrine Ventures.
The company says its systems have accumulated more than 100,000 hours of autonomous operation across agricultural and defense-related environments, positioning its platform at what it describes as a mature stage of technological readiness, including deployment in both civilian and military settings.
Elbit said the deal enhances its ability to deliver manned-unmanned teaming systems and expand its portfolio of robotics technologies for defense and homeland security customers.
“Autonomy and robotics are reshaping how defense forces operate today,” said Eyal Dahan, CEO of FUSE, Elbit’s autonomy-focused unit. He said modern battlefields require “vast adoption of robotics capabilities,” and described Bluewhite’s platform as a key addition to Elbit’s broader ecosystem of autonomous systems.
Bluewhite CEO Ben Alfi said the acquisition marks “a thrilling new chapter” for the company and its team. “Our mission has always been to bring practical autonomy to the field,” he said. By joining FUSE and Elbit Systems, he added, Bluewhite would be able to scale its technology across defense, security and industrial applications, combining its autonomy stack with Elbit’s operational experience.
Bluewhite’s technology originated in the agricultural sector, where it was developed to automate farming operations such as seeding, spraying and harvesting using retrofitted tractors. The company has also built a software layer for remote fleet management and data analytics, allowing operators to coordinate multiple autonomous machines simultaneously.
