• Vidar Systems became one of the first portfolio companies of the recently launched Prest Tech Horizons fund
• With its advanced AI technology, the Ukrainian defense tech startup is developing a scalable solution for detecting hostile artillery, significantly cheaper and more sophisticated than the competition
• The new investment will help Vidar Systems grow its team and perfect its product further

This June, the well-known Prague-based VC Presto Ventures launched Presto Tech Horizons, marking a significant milestone for the fund and its partners. With a fund size of EUR 150M, the initiative is a collaborative effort with the Czechoslovak Group (CSG), a notable industrial and technology conglomerate. The new fund is designed to target high-potential dual-use technology startups, supporting innovation and security in the region.

The partners have jointly evaluated over 1,200 startups and selected the 25 best opportunities for further in-depth analysis. This October, the fund announced its first investments, onboarding three portfolio companies. Among them is Vidar Systems – the Ukrainian developer of portable acoustic locators.

AI to Improve Battlefield Performance

Vidar Systems specializes in portable military acoustic weapon-locating technology designed to enhance artillery detection, optimize friendly gunfire correction, and improve battlefield situational awareness. The system employs a network of distributed acoustic sensors combined with advanced machine learning algorithms to accurately identify and track artillery, vehicles, and troop gunfire in real time.

Vidar Systems’ co-founder and CEO Denys Sobchyshak admits that the founding team are outsiders to the defense industry. They come from a tech background and have been active in business and academia. Understandably, the events in Ukraine have changed a lot in their lives. Looking to help their friends and family in dire circumstances, they formed a team seeking out problems that lacked attention, including in defense tech.

‘The needs of a state at war are very conspicuous and limits of reconnaissance in modern warfare have made some of the existing systems virtually obsolete. We help various military units locate hostile gunfire positions on the battlefield in real time. Our AI is a result of several years of in-house R&D made possible by the access to the biggest dataset to train it on,’ Mr Sobchyshak explains.

‘While combat needs for accurate location of hostile artillery is only growing, classical radar solutions are very expensive, and recon drones – such as Bayraktar or Shark – are ineffective in forest areas and in poor weather. Vidar comes with a passive, silent, affordable, and accurate alternative,’ Presto Ventures partner Vojta Roček adds.

With its rapid detection capabilities, Vidar Systems’ solution supports a number of connectivity options and seamlessly integrates with battlefield management systems, delivering precise and comprehensive data to aid decision-making. Constructed primarily from EU-sourced components, the solution is tailored for deployment by Ukrainian armed forces and NATO allies, reinforcing defense and operational efficiency in complex combat scenarios.

New Partnership to Fuel Scaling

‘It enhances the portfolio of sensors with the capability to localize a source of sound in passive mode, i.e. safely, without detection. We can bring additional value for investors by helping this technology commercially or implementing it in our systems,’ Czechoslovak Group’s spokesman Andrej Čírtek tells ITKeyMedia.

‘As with every defense startup at this stage, the first 10 customers are a major challenge to overcome. Thanks to Presto Tech Horizons, we can leverage both commercial and product synergies across multiple CSG portfolio companies, and in doing so, help Vidar identify the prospects to focus on and get on board quickly,’ Mr Roček continues.

Mr Sobchyshak and his team were impressed with Presto Tech Horizons’ vast network and profound expertise. ‘They started helping us out before the deal was even concluded. With Presto we are confident in scaling to a leading position in modern military acoustic reconnaissance in the region, while also strengthening the fund’s dual-use and miltech portfolio,’ the CEO states.

Vidar Systems will use the newly raised investment of EUR 450K for scaling the team and improving its product further to help save and protect the lives of more people. Mr Sobchyshak hints that the team is also working on something that might redefine the way acoustic reconnaissance was previously done or the role that it plays in modern military doctrine.