Double Tap Investments invests in Ukrainian defence startup Hard Cat Drones

In early 2025, the British-Finnish venture capital firm Double Tap Investments made an investment in Hard Cat Drones, a Ukrainian defense startup specializing in the development of innovative unmanned systems for river and maritime operations.

The amount of the deal was not disclosed, but it is known that the average Double Tap Investments check ranges from $100,000 to $300,000.

• The Hard Cat Drones team presented its solutions at IT Arena 2024, including a prototype of a kamikaze attack drone that can also be used to scan the seabed, detect enemy mines, provide navigation support for Ukrainian vessels, and conduct reconnaissance. This development has already been tested at the request of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

• Thanks to the partnership with Double Tap Investments, the startup team is working on new models that will expand opportunities in the defense and security sector.

• Double Tap Investments co-founder Oles Khudoba noted that cooperation with Hard Cat was the result of participation in IT Arena 2024. 

“It’s quite a niche story, but very relevant both for Ukraine and for Finland. We are confident that the team is capable of scaling its product and making a meaningful contribution to the country’s defense forces,” says Jan-Erik Saarinen , Co-founder of Double Tap Investment.

For Double Tap, this agreement is another step in accelerating the development of Ukrainian defense technologies and their entry into the European level.

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