In a world that is increasingly shaped by algorithms and autonomy, Israeli start-up Skyforce is rewriting the rules of engagement, one multi-platform operation at a time.
Founded in March 2025, Skyforce has quickly emerged as a powerful force in dual-use (civilian and military) technology, developing AI software that transforms manually controlled platforms into fully autonomous multi-platform operations.
Like a large group of automated ground vehicles capable of operating deep behind enemy lines, guided not by joystick-wielding operators but by onboard AI agents – Skyforce does what CEO Niv Davidai calls “the brain of the system.”
“We aim to reduce the number of human operators,” Davidai told the online D&T section of The Jerusalem Post. “Humans won’t be manually controlling the multi-platform operation. They’ll be commanding it.”
With a lean team of just 10 employees, including talent from Elon Musk’s SpaceX, Skyforce is punching far above its weight.
Its edge computing agents are powered by a blend of large language models (LLMs), vision-language models (VLMs), and classic machine learning algorithms that process mission-critical data directly on the platform, eliminating the need for centralized control, even in complex environments.
“All decisions are made onboard,” Davidai said. “When we deploy our edge agents in the field, all the processing is done there.”
This shift from centralized control to distributed autonomy marks a paradigm shift in battlefield economics. Instead of relying on expensive, niche platforms, Skyforce enables the deployment of large numbers of low-cost, expendable units that can still perform effectively under fire.
The American Dream
Though autonomy is primarily vertical, with a strong focus on defense, Dan Malowany, the CTO and co-founder of Skyforce, explained that the company is dual-use, offering its capabilities to autonomous platforms across agriculture, healthcare, and other commercial industries.
Skyforce’s primary market is in the United States, and the company recently participated in the CET Sandbox event in Washington, where Israeli innovators met with senior officials from DARPA, the Defense Innovation Unit, and the Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office.
Industry giants such as Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and BAE Systems were also present to explore integration opportunities.
CET Sandbox, designed to bridge Israeli tech with US defense ecosystems, provides Skyforce a platform to showcase its dual-use capabilities. While defense remains the company’s core business drive, its technology is also applicable to agriculture, healthcare, and other commercial sectors.
Davidai, a serial entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in the defense industry, said that after Hamas’s October 7 massacre, he felt that his previous company was limited in what it could do.
He wanted to be able to “turn the operator into a commander... to provide full mission autonomy.”
“Our goal is to make sure that when the drone and missile swarms arrive, we can handle [them],” Davidai said, saying that after what Israel has gone through over the past two years, along with the war between Ukraine and Russia, “the reality is that the future is already here.”