- DrillApp secured $100K pre-seed funding to expand its military training platform
- Founded by Ukrainian officers, the app offers modular, field-tested content for military and civilians
- Content is developed with veterans, focusing on tactics, first aid, drones, and psychological support
- DrillApp is evolving into a B2B defense education platform with secure, customizable learning tools
This April, Ukrainian dual-use edtech DrillApp attracted USD 100K of Pre-Seed investment from undisclosed angel investors. Drill App is a mobile training platform for military and civilian skills. It counts 200,000+ users, including 50,000+ active military.
Combat-Driven Content and Building Trust During Wartime
Oleksandr Gusarov, Co-Founder and CEO at DrillApp, Head of Combat Psychological Support Department at AZOV brigade
Azov officer Oleksandr Husarov and Ukrainian Army officer Ihor S launched DrillApp in 2021 in response to the need for a more accessible, interactive, and modern approach to military training. The team soon came up with an MVP and got it tested within Ukrainian military units. Initially, the platform was a mobile shooting trainer, but the founders quickly realized that it could offer much more — not only to gun owners or those learning to use firearms, but also to civilians. For example, with the right knowledge and skills, civilians could provide lifesaving first aid to themselves or those nearby, and this insight led to the development of DrillApp’s tactical medicine module.
‘From there, we focused on scaling content and working with experts with real battlefield experience during the ongoing war in our country. Our key milestones included collaboration with veterans and frontline units, as well as receiving our first international interest from Israel and the USA. Among our biggest challenges were earning user trust, ensuring high content quality, and navigating ethical and security concerns—which we addressed through controlled access and expert moderation,’ Mr Husarov recalls.
Responsible Knowledge Sharing, Ethical and Safety Concerns
Naturally, ethical concerns are in place, related to the dissemination of military training content to a broad audience. Fully aware of the potential risks, DrillApp implemented a mandatory introduction to the 10 Golden Rules of Gun Safety that every user must read before accessing the app. Additionally, safety rules are regularly reinforced both within the content itself and via in-app notifications.
‘Furthermore, we follow strict guidelines for responsible knowledge sharing: we exclude any instructions related to weapon manufacturing or unlawful activities and maintain constant consultation with legal and military advisors,’ Mr S adds.
Expert-Led, Real-World Training Content
According to him, DrillApp blends up-to-date military expertise, modern technologies, and thoughtful UX design to build an effective learning environment. Its content is highly contextualized—tailored to the real-life conditions in which users have to fight and live and created in collaboration with active military personnel and veterans, ensuring both relevance and practicality.
‘Our instructors are all experienced professionals with extensive field knowledge gained both in Ukraine and abroad. These are not just theorists — they are practitioners, many of whom are actively participating in combat today. Every training module has been field-tested in real combat scenarios,’ Mr Husarov assures.
The experts specialize in specific areas such as small unit tactics, first aid, drone operations, psychological support, and rehabilitation, ensuring the content’s depth, accuracy, and practical edge.
In-app feedback requests and AppStore / Play Store ratings reviews are used to collect insights. Moreover, founders actively communicate with users and instructors offline on shooting ranges, conferences, meetups, etc.
A Modular, Localized Platform for Global Reach
DrillApp’s modular content structure allows for easy customization for different countries, military units, and organizations. Reportedly, the platform is already running tests in NATO structures, cooperates with instructors from Canada, Poland, and Estonia, and has received requests for localization from Israel and the United States.
‘Our instructors have international military backgrounds and understand the needs of both Ukrainian and foreign military systems. Our app is built as a flexible platform where the core remains stable while the content can be quickly adapted. We can easily localize the language and training structure according to a specific country’s standards—or provide clients with the ability to upload their own content, which we then moderate and format to fit the platform’s requirements and the region’s needs,’ Mr S notes.
B2B Defense Learning Ecosystem
Ihor S, Co-Founder at DrillApp, ex-Army Officer at the Armed Forces of Ukraine
In view of the new investment, DrillApp’s next major step, currently in active testing, is transforming the app into a universal B2B training platform. This should allow instructors, product developers, and defense solution providers to create their own courses and monetize their expertise—all while helping others become more prepared.
DrillApp’s B2B platform for professional defense education will be a tool for institutions and companies to access or deliver certified defense-related training, with features like course marketplaces, enrollment management, analytics, and corporate learning solutions. Functionally, it will be close to Udemy or Coursera with a focus on defence and military-related content and programs. Classified content is to be expected—therefore, extra security measures for both storing the content and user data should be in place, providing secure and verified access.
Future Growth and Global Ambition
‘Overall, further development implies investment in design and creation of the programs and the content, expert involvement, technological infrastructure, etc. For example, for the psychological stabilization program, it suggests creating protocols and training sessions focused on mental health support for personnel, including stress management, trauma recovery, and resilience building. Most likely, we will involve licensed psychologists and trainers,’ Mr Husarov tells ITKeyMedia.
Additionally, looking forward to the company’s future development, DrillApp already incorporated in Estonia as a strategic move to attract European investment, simplifying legal cooperation with EU-based funds and clients.
Positioning itself as a comprehensive B2B platform for professional defense education, DrillApp empowers veterans, instructors and organizations to deliver and monetize certified training programs. With plans to enhance its technological infrastructure, expand international collaborations, and introduce modules on psychological resilience and mental health, the company is poised to meet the evolving needs of modern defense forces and pave the way for broader global adoption while maintaining a strong commitment to security, ethical standards, and battlefield-tested expertise.
Kostiantyn is a freelance writer from Crimea but based in Lviv. He loves writing about IT and high tech because those topics are always upbeat and he’s an inherent optimist!
