Heven AeroTech becomes Israel’s first defense tech unicorn

Heven AeroTech has reached a new milestone in the global drone industry. The Israeli founded and US based drone company is now valued at more than one billion dollars, as reported by The Jerusalem Post. The new valuation follows a one hundred million dollar investment round led in part by the American quantum computing company IonQ.

The news came from investor Lorne Abony of Texas Venture Partners. He called Heven AeroTech “Israel’s first defense tech unicorn.” Abony said his firm was an early supporter with an initial investment of four point five million dollars and that he now sits on the company’s board.

Heven AeroTech has earned attention for building drones that can fly long distances, carry heavy payloads, and support lifesaving missions. Some of its systems can parachute blood and medical supplies into battlefields. Others can operate in harsh environments with dense electronic interference.

The idea for the company came from founder Bentzion Levinson during the 2018 Gaza flare up. Israel struggled to counter the fire kites and balloon attacks launched by Hamas. Levinson said he could not understand how a high tech country had trouble defeating such a simple threat. He believed drones needed to evolve from “cameras in the sky” to true flying robots that could perform complex missions.

He took that frustration, some personal tuition money, and a small team. In 2019 Heven AeroTech was born. By 2020, during the COVID period, the company’s drones were already delivering test kits to hospitals.

War experience shaped the company’s direction

Levinson’s vision was sharpened by real conflict. He served on Israel’s northern border during the October 7 period before spending time in Gaza. He described the feeling of being on the front line without aerial awareness. Even a drone flying one or two kilometers made a major difference for soldiers.

That experience strengthened his belief that nations will rely more on advanced drone systems in future conflicts. He says urgency helped unite customers, partners, and investors around the company’s mission.

Over the past six years, Heven AeroTech has grown from an idea into a supplier for the Israel Defense Forces and the US Department of Defense. The company also works with international defense customers and has support from the IMOD’s Directorate of Defense Research and Development.

Heven is best known for its hydrogen powered drone: these aircraft can fly more than one thousand kilometers while carrying meaningful payloads. The company expects to reach two thousand kilometers soon. That type of endurance is rare and positions Heven as a serious player in long range, stealth capable drone operations.

Levinson said people once laughed at the idea of hydrogen drones. Today, the company has an entire business line built around them.

Quantum tech now part of the next phase

The new partnership with IonQ will push Heven into its next stage of growth. IonQ confirmed that it will integrate quantum based sensing, communication, navigation, and security features into Heven’s drone systems.

Quantum navigation could give drones stable positioning even when GPS is jammed. Quantum communication could keep drones linked to operators in contested airspace. Quantum sensing could help drones detect threats or navigate more precisely.

The collaboration includes senior IonQ executives joining Heven’s board. That signals a deeper relationship than a simple investment. Both companies believe quantum technology will power the next generation of high endurance drones.

Levinson says that within a few years the world will see millions of drones operating on a daily basis. He believes quantum systems will be essential for that scale.

He also says that reaching unicorn status is only the beginning. The company plans to expand quickly and continue pushing the limits of long range drone operations.

DroneXL’s Take

Heven AeroTech’s rise shows how fast military drone tech is changing. Hydrogen powered flight and now quantum based navigation could reshape long range missions in the next decade. The company has scale, strong investors, and real battlefield experience. If it can deliver two thousand kilometer endurance with secure communication in contested airspace, Heven may become one of the most influential drone manufacturers in defense.

Photo credit: Heven AeroTech