XTEND’s Drone Hive is an example of its autonomous defense technology. Source: XTEND
XTEND Reality Inc. today announced that Aliya Capital Partners and Protego Ventures have co-led a strategic $30 million extension to its $70 million Series B funding round. The developer of tactical autonomous robots said it plans to use the financing to scale up U.S. and global production, integrate real-time artificial intelligence capabilities across its platforms, and expand deployments with U.S. and allied defense forces.
“The successful completion of our Series B financing highlights the surging demand for mission-critical autonomous systems from allied defense and public safety agencies,” stated Aviv Shapira, CEO of XTEND. “The backing from Aliya and Protego isn’t just about fresh capital—it’s a powerful vote of confidence.”
Founded as a gaming company, XTEND has developed robots and autonomous systems that use AI and human guidance to operate precisely and safely in complex and hazardous environments. The Tel Aviv, Israel-based company claimed that its patented XOS operating system can enhance the operator’s abilities, reducing the need for direct physical confrontation and minimizing casualties and injuries.
XTEND said users including the U.S. Department of Defense, Singapore, Europe, the U.K., and the Israel Defense Force have deployed thousands of drones, robotic dogs, and marine systems worldwide.
XTEND develops ‘human-supervised autonomy’
“Our XOS operating system is based on ‘human-supervised autonomy,’ which empowers robots to handle complex tasks autonomously –entering buildings, scanning floors, or even pursuing suspects,” Shapira told The Robot Report. “However, crucially, it allows the ‘common sense’ decisions — like judging situations or adapting to unforeseen circumstances — to remain in the hands of human supervisors.”
XTEND’s research and development team is continually adding new AI skills to the system to allow robots to handle a growing portion of missions and tasks. Shapira said the goal is to free up human supervisors to manage more missions and to distance people from dangerous situations.
“For example, a recent update to XOS gives a single user the ability to manage a team of robots performing subtasks autonomously, such as patrolling indoor environments and looking for threats,” he noted. “This eliminates the need for ‘continuous manual operation,’ meaning human supervisors no longer need to constantly control each robot’s movement. This is a game-changer for non-robotics specialists like soldiers, police officers, building engineers, and firefighters.”
In addition, XTEND’s focus on human-machine collaboration enables supervisors to manage dozens of robots simultaneously and allows robots to learn from those experiences, Shapira said. XOS also reduces training requirements, he explained.
“With XOS, even professionals without extensive robotics training can now oversee complex missions with greater ease,” asserted Shapira. “In fact, XOS reduces drone operation training time by 99%, allowing pilots with no prior experience to achieve mastery in as little as five minutes.”
“Our system automates subtasks while keeping the supervisor in control,” he added. “Imagine a firefighter directing a team of robots to explore a burning building, or a police officer coordinating drones to search a large area for a suspect. XOS empowers these professionals to leverage robotic assistance without becoming robotics experts themselves.”
Aliya CEO joins XTEND board
Aliya Capital Partners and Protego Ventures joined participating investors, including Len Blavatnik’s Claltech, Union-Tech Ventures, and Chartered Group. As part of this transaction, Ross Kestlin, founding partner and CEO of Aliya Capital Partners, has joined XTEND’s board of directors.
“XTEND’s mission — to deliver cutting-edge drone and robotics systems for high-risk, mission-critical environments — aligns directly with our vision of supporting technologies that protect and enhance life,” said Kestin. “We’re honored to back Aviv and his world-class team and help accelerate the impact of their technology across defense, security, and emergency response sectors.”
Aliya Capital Partners has expertise across defense tech, AI, autonomy, and national security. The Miami-based investment firm said it backs companies “at the intersection of advanced technology and global safety.”
“Ross’s experience and strategic perspective are invaluable in navigating this pivotal growth phase,” said Shapira. “Furthermore, opening our Tampa headquarters is a major step forward as we continue to build cutting-edge systems that protect lives worldwide.”
XTEND opens new U.S. headquarters
With this Series B funding, XTEND plans to scale up U.S. and global production. The company also plans to offer its systems for humanitarian and emergency response efforts.
The announcement follows the July 1 grand opening of XTEND’s new U.S. headquarters and advanced drone production facility in Tampa, Fla. The event brought together government, military, and industry leaders. The company is hiring, said Shapira.
“This milestone represents the realization of XTEND’s vision to bring our groundbreaking technologies closer to the U.S. defense ecosystem,” Dr. Peter Kash, chairman of the board of XTEND. “With this facility, we’re laying the foundation for sustained growth, high-tech job creation, and meaningful contributions to America’s security and industrial capabilities.”
“The grand opening of XTEND’s Tampa facility represents more than a physical expansion—it marks a new phase of operational scale, U.S. engagement, and global relevance,” said Lee Moser, co-founder and general partner of Protego Ventures.
Protego Ventures is an Israel-based defense venture capital fund investing in breakthrough technologies to address today’s most urgent defense and security challenges, including drones, AI and machine learning, sensors, and aerial defenses.
XTEND provides autonomous and human guided systems to the U.S. and its allies. Source: XTEND
Investors see tech potential
“When investing in companies, you typically meet the founders, the management team, the technology—and of course, dive into the virtual data room,” recalled Avi Fischer, chairman of Clal Industries and Claltech. “But with XTEND, we did something far more important.’
“On our very first visit, we walked into a room with over 50 end users, all being trained on the system,” he said. “What convinced us to invest wasn’t just the tech — it was their feedback. They spoke about how the system has saved lives, how AI-driven training cut learning time by 99%, and how this technology is already changing the battlefield. That’s when we knew we had to be part of this.”
XTEND is transitioning from a platforms-based model to a software-oriented, robotics-as-a-service (RaaS) approach, where systems can be upgraded with more advanced capabilities, said Shapira.
