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Ukrainian Drone Startup Swarmer Soars 700% on Nasdaq Debut

3/19/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Swarmer, a Ukrainian drone technology startup, debuted on Nasdaq with shares up more than 700% and closed at $31.
The company was founded in Ukraine and is based in Austin, Texas, and its software lets a single pilot control hundreds of drones.
Erik Prince, founder of Blackwater, joined Swarmer as non-executive chairman.
Experts say Swarmer signals a trend of Ukrainian defense startups leveraging U.S. capital.
Ukraine's defense industry is reaching $35 billion in production capacity in 2025 and has attracted $6.1 billion in foreign funding, with U.S. partnerships potentially helping finance and expand operations.

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Story summary

Swarmer, a Ukrainian drone technology startup, debuted on Nasdaq with shares up more than 700% and closed at $31.
The company was founded in Ukraine and is based in Austin, Texas, and its software lets a single pilot control hundreds of drones.
Erik Prince, founder of Blackwater, joined Swarmer as non-executive chairman.
Experts say Swarmer signals a trend of Ukrainian defense startups leveraging U.S. capital.
Ukraine's defense industry is reaching $35 billion in production capacity in 2025 and has attracted $6.1 billion in foreign funding, with U.S. partnerships potentially helping finance and expand operations.