Ondas has invested $1 billion in Israel over the past year, according to Dr. Judith Hocherman-Frommer, CTO and chief engineer of Ondas Autonomous Systems. She announced the figure at the UVID DroneTech conference at Expo Tel Aviv and added that Ondas has acquired 27 defense-tech companies in 18 months, most of them Israeli. The Jerusalem Post reported it on November 12, 2026. It is a company statement, not an audited total.
Last updated: November 15, 2026
Contents
- How much has Ondas invested in Israel?
- Who are the two executives?
- What is the Digital Bat program?
- What has Ondas won from the Ministry?
- Why do the counts differ?
- Why are officials watching Ondas?
- What should readers watch next?
- Frequently asked questions
How much has Ondas invested in Israel?
Ondas says it has invested $1 billion in Israel during the past year, a figure given publicly by its CTO and reported by the Jerusalem Post on November 12, 2026. The announcement came at UVID DroneTech 2026, a drone conference held at Expo Tel Aviv.
Jerusalem Post reporter Anna Ahronheim wrote that Hocherman-Frommer called investment in Israel mission critical for the company. Ondas is a US-based group that builds autonomous drones, counter-drone systems, robotic ground platforms, unmanned aircraft and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems. It describes its goal as a vertically integrated defense technology company that covers development, manufacturing and deployment.
The report does not break the $1 billion into acquisitions, research spending and factory investment. That matters, because most of the money appears to have gone into buying companies. Hocherman-Frommer said Ondas does more than acquire: it invests in each company it buys and links the companies so they can solve operational problems together.
Olam tracks the Israeli side of this buying spree deal by deal in its Ondas ownership map. One of the largest earlier deals is covered in the Sentrycs acquisition analysis.
Who are the two Ondas executives behind the announcement?
Two executives shape Ondas's Israeli story: Dr. Judith Hocherman-Frommer, who made the $1 billion announcement, and Oshri Lugassy, who runs the Israeli operation. Both appear in the Jerusalem Post report.
Dr. Judith Hocherman-Frommer, CTO and chief engineer
Hocherman-Frommer is the CTO and chief engineer of Ondas Autonomous Systems, the Ondas unit for autonomous systems. She spoke at UVID DroneTech 2026 and argued that threats now change within months rather than years. Her view, as reported, is that defense companies can no longer depend on multi-year development programs or on costly standalone missiles aimed at swarms of cheap drones. She summed up the company's case in one line: "Speed is the new strategic advantage."
Oshri Lugassy, co-CEO of Ondas Autonomous Systems
Oshri Lugassy is co-CEO of Ondas Autonomous Systems. The Times of Israel has described him as the head of Ondas's operations in Israel, a former chief engineering officer in the IDF, and a former vice president of sales and marketing at Rafael Advanced Defense Systems (רפאל). That Rafael background is relevant because several Ondas targets, discussed below, are Rafael subsidiaries. Olam profiles the state-owned parent in its Rafael Advanced Defense Systems profile.
What is the Digital Bat program?
Digital Bat is Ondas's next-generation tactical attack drone program, and the Jerusalem Post reports that it has moved from development toward serial production. Ondas announced a purchase order under the program days before the UVID DroneTech conference. The company says it believes demand could reach tens of thousands of affordable autonomous strike systems.
Calcalist reported separately that Israel's Ministry of Defense (משרד הביטחון) selected Ondas to develop and produce a new generation of low-cost tactical attack drones. Ondas said the scope covers the drone itself, its autonomy, mission software, systems integration and production readiness.
The work is split between two Israeli companies. Airobotics, an Ondas subsidiary, is expected to lead development, autonomy software, mission systems and integration. ARAN Defense, an Israeli engineering and manufacturing company, would supply manufacturing and industrial support once Ondas completes its pending acquisition. Ondas plans to use ARAN to build dedicated production lines capable of making thousands of systems.
The ARAN acquisition is described as pending in the November 12 Jerusalem Post report. An earlier Times of Israel list of Ondas's Israeli purchases includes Aran Defense, so the status of that deal is worth confirming against Ondas's own filings before anyone treats it as closed.
What has Ondas won from Israel's Ministry of Defense?
Ondas's Israeli subsidiaries have won at least two named Ministry of Defense programs: a border demining program and the Digital Bat attack drone. The demining work sits inside a much larger national project, the Eastern Border Security Barrier.
The Eastern Border Security Barrier is a multi-phase initiative led by the Ministry of Defense to fortify roughly 500 kilometers of Israel's eastern frontier. Ondas said its Israeli subsidiary 4M Defense won a competitive tender for large-scale demining along that border, with an opportunity expected to exceed $50 million. The barrier initiative itself is valued at $1.7 billion, according to Ondas. Ondas also reported a $10 million initial order under the demining program, and said 4M Defense had won an earlier tender for similar operations in Israel with an expected value of $30 million.
| Program | Ondas unit | Reported value | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern border demining | 4M Defense | Expected to exceed $50 million, with a $10 million initial order | Ondas press releases |
| Earlier demining tender | 4M Defense | Expected $30 million | Ondas press release |
| Digital Bat attack drone | Airobotics, with ARAN Defense planned for production | Not disclosed in the reports reviewed | Jerusalem Post, Calcalist |
The table shows why the $1 billion headline needs context. The Ministry of Defense contract values in the Ondas releases Olam reviewed are in the tens of millions of dollars, well below the stated investment, although the reports do not give a full list of Israeli orders.
Why do the Ondas acquisition counts differ across reports?
The reported number of Ondas acquisitions in Israel varies between 9, 13, 14 and 27 in the sources below because each source counts a different thing at a different date. The figures are not contradictory once the scope of each is clear.
| Figure | Source | What it counts |
|---|---|---|
| 27 companies in 18 months | Hocherman-Frommer, via Jerusalem Post, November 12, 2026 | All acquisitions, Israeli plus US and European, with most Israeli |
| 13 Israeli startups for about $1 billion | Times of Israel report on the Gate Technologies deal | Israeli acquisitions at the time of that report |
| 9 Israeli defense companies for about $400 million | Calcalist, earlier report | Israeli acquisitions at an earlier date |
| At least 14 Israeli defense companies | Olam ownership map, November 9, 2026 | Israeli companies Ondas owns, deal by deal |
| About $1 billion raised in January | Calcalist | Capital Ondas raised from an undisclosed investor |
The last row is the one most likely to cause confusion. Calcalist reported that Ondas raised about $1 billion in January from a major investor whose identity it has declined to disclose. That is money raised by Ondas, not money spent in Israel. The Jerusalem Post's $1 billion is Ondas's statement about what it has invested in Israel. The two figures are similar in size, but they describe different flows of money, and no source reviewed by Olam says they are the same dollars.
The Times of Israel report on Gate Technologies gives a sense of deal size. It described an agreement to buy the Israeli maker of electronic fuzes for unmanned weapons for up to $390 million, and listed Airobotics, Iron Drone, Sentrycs, Omnisys and Apeiro among earlier Israeli purchases. For the full list of Israeli units, readers should use the Olam ownership map of Ondas's Israeli companies.
Why are Israeli security officials watching Ondas closely?
Israeli security officials are watching Ondas because it is buying companies that hold sensitive defense knowledge while the investor behind its biggest raise is unnamed. Calcalist's reporting lays out both sides: the Ministry of Defense wants private capital in the sector, and it is uneasy about how some of that capital arrives.
Calcalist described an Israeli defense establishment whose military needs exceed its ability to finance them, which is why the ministry wants investors with deep pockets in defense and defense-tech companies. Ondas, valued by Calcalist at roughly $5 billion after nearly $2 billion in capital raises in 2025, is one of the most active buyers.
The friction points are specific. Calcalist reported that Ondas has declined to name the investor behind its January raise. It also reported that senior executives from Israel's defense industry keep moving to Ondas, which feeds a long-running concern about knowledge leaving state-owned companies for private ones. And it reported that Ondas is trying to buy Controp, a Rafael subsidiary, in addition to mPrest. DroneXL, citing Calcalist, reported in February 2026 that Ondas was also seeking Aeronautics, Rafael's unmanned aircraft subsidiary, and that any such sale would need review by Israel's Director of Security of the Defense Establishment.
Ondas has answered the concern in public. In a statement quoted by Calcalist, the company said it works for the security of the State of Israel, including by injecting capital into Israel to strengthen the defense-tech ecosystem.
For readers following the broader pattern, Rafael's role as both a seller of subsidiaries and a global exporter is covered in Olam's comparison of Israeli defense companies expanding overseas, and in the Israeli defense exports tracker.
What should readers watch next?
Four developments will show whether the $1 billion statement turns into durable Israeli capacity.
- Whether Ondas completes the ARAN Defense acquisition, which Ondas says it needs for Digital Bat production lines.
- Whether Digital Bat orders grow beyond the first purchase order into serial production at the scale Ondas describes.
- Whether Ondas names the investor behind its January raise, which Calcalist says it has declined to do.
- Whether the Rafael subsidiary deals, including Controp, win the required Israeli security review.
In Hebrew, this story belongs to the תעשייה ביטחונית (the defense industry) beat. The first milestone to check is the ARAN closing, because Ondas has tied its Israeli manufacturing plan to it.
Frequently asked questions
Is the $1 billion Ondas figure verified?
The $1 billion figure is a statement by Dr. Judith Hocherman-Frommer, CTO and chief engineer of Ondas Autonomous Systems, reported by the Jerusalem Post on November 12, 2026. It has not been independently audited in any report Olam reviewed, and the report does not break down how the money was spent.
How many Israeli companies does Ondas own?
The answer depends on the date and the source. Calcalist counted nine Israeli defense companies in an earlier report, the Times of Israel counted 13 Israeli startups, and Olam's ownership map lists at least 14. The Jerusalem Post says 27 acquisitions overall, with most of them Israeli.
Is the $1 billion the same as Ondas's January capital raise?
No source reviewed by Olam says so. Calcalist reported that Ondas raised about $1 billion in January from an undisclosed investor. The Jerusalem Post figure is Ondas's statement about what it has invested in Israel. The two are similar in size but describe different things.
What is Digital Bat?
Digital Bat is an Ondas program for a low-cost tactical attack drone. Calcalist reports that Israel's Ministry of Defense selected Ondas to develop and produce it. Airobotics leads development, and ARAN Defense would handle manufacturing after Ondas completes its pending acquisition.
Who leads Ondas operations in Israel?
Oshri Lugassy leads Ondas's Israeli operations and is co-CEO of Ondas Autonomous Systems. The Times of Israel describes him as a former chief engineering officer in the IDF and a former vice president of sales and marketing at Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.
Sources
Jerusalem Post, Ondas bets big on Israel, by Anna Ahronheim, November 12, 2026. Calcalist reporting on Ondas, Rafael subsidiaries, the Digital Bat selection and the Defense Ministry's investment stance. Times of Israel report on Ondas's purchase of Gate Technologies. Ondas Holdings press releases on 4M Defense and the Eastern Border Security Barrier. DroneXL, February 19, 2026, citing Calcalist.
How we report: Olam stories draw on public filings, company disclosures and named sources, checked by our editors. Read our methodology · Corrections
