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Company Dossier

Zvook

Zvook builds AI-powered acoustic sensor networks that detect drones, cruise missiles, and aircraft at low-to-medium altitude for real-time air-defense cueing.

BattlePolicy Research · Updated 19 Aug 2026 · 4 min read
FILE · zvookOpen-source file · BattlePolicy ProStatus PrivateVerified
Zvook
SensorsCombat-fieldedEUPrivate
Zvook builds AI-powered acoustic sensor networks that detect drones, cruise missiles, and aircraft at low-to-medium altitude for real-time air-defense cueing.
Founded
2022
HQ
Kyiv, Ukraine
Headcount
Undisclosed
Total raised
Undisclosed
Valuation
Undisclosed
Stage
Private / early-stage

Background

Zvook emerged in 2022 from Ukraine's wartime defense-tech ecosystem, co-founded by Pavlo Tsiupka (CEO of i3 Engineering), Dmytro Believtsov (Respeecher co-founder background), and Maryan Sulym, an active Ukrainian air-defense sergeant who later became the project's operational head.

The founding premise was that acoustic detection could fill radar blind spots against low-flying threats at a fraction of the cost of conventional sensors.

The core product is a distributed network of small hardened microphone boxes running on-device machine-learning models that classify Shahed-type drones (detection range 3–5 km), cruise missiles (5–7 km), helicopters, and fighter aircraft, with a reported 2.5% false-positive rate.

A second-generation product, the NW0 Ethernet tactical acoustic sensor, targets FPV drone detection at the squad level.

Zvook sells directly into Ukraine's military air-defense architecture via Brave1, Ukraine's defense-tech accelerator pool, and has drawn acquisition interest from at least three Israeli defense-technology firms. Headcount is not publicly disclosed.

Financial footing

  • Deployed in 40+ locations (~5% of Ukraine area)
  • NATO-tested
  • Backers: D3 VC, Slava Ventures, SMRK

Total funding raised, individual round sizes, dates, and lead investors are not publicly disclosed. D3 VC, Slava Ventures, and SMRK are listed as primary investors in the company's catalog entry, but round amounts and close dates have not been reported in public sources. No valuation figure has been confirmed. Zvook is private. Revenue and backlog figures are undisclosed.

The investors listed — D3 VC and Slava Ventures are Ukrainian and CEE-focused early-stage venture funds; SMRK is a Ukrainian angel/seed network — suggest seed-to-early-stage capitalization, but no figure can be stated with confidence. All financial figures cited in the catalog entry should be treated as unverified pending formal disclosure.

Major customers & contracts

The Ukrainian Armed Forces are the confirmed primary customer, with Zvook sensors operationally deployed across Ukrainian air-defense positions as part of the country's layered early-warning architecture against Russian missile and drone strikes. The system operates within the Brave1 defense-tech pool, Ukraine's government-run accelerator that connects battlefield-validated technologies with Ministry of Defense procurement channels.

Deployment as of available reporting covers approximately 40 fixed locations, representing roughly 5% of Ukraine's territory. Named contract counterparties, ceiling values, and award dates within the Ukrainian MoD procurement system have not been publicly disclosed. At least three Israeli defense-technology firms have approached Zvook regarding partnership or acquisition, but no signed commercial or government contract outside Ukraine has been confirmed.

Leadership & contact surface

Leadership: Maryan Sulym
Official site: https://zvook.tech

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Competitive position

Sky Fortress is the most directly comparable Ukrainian acoustic air-threat detection system and competes for the same Brave1 procurement pool; Zvook's edge is earlier battlefield validation and the documented NW0 tactical sensor line, while Sky Fortress's relative maturity and backer network are not fully public. Against Western counter-UAS acoustic players such as Squarehead Technology (Norway), Zvook's advantage is combat-proven ML classification tuned specifically to Russian threat signatures including Shahed variants; its weakness is limited institutional presence outside Ukraine.

Versus radar-based low-altitude surveillance systems from companies such as Thales or Leonardo, Zvook offers a dramatically lower unit cost and passive emissions profile, but shorter detection range and weather sensitivity are real constraints. Against U.S. CUAS integrators such as Dedrone, Zvook is cheaper and operationally simpler but lacks the multi-sensor fusion and software ecosystem. The broader market is fragmented, with no dominant acoustic-only incumbent at scale.

Battlefield relevance

Zvook sensors are operationally deployed across approximately 40 fixed locations inside Ukraine, covering an estimated 5% of the country's territory as of available reporting. The system is integrated into Ukraine's air-defense early-warning chain and has been used to cue intercepts of Russian Shahed-136/131 drones and cruise missiles during ongoing Russian aerial campaigns.

A U.S. Army Lessons Learned document noted that the first cruise missile detection occurred four hours after initial installation of a Zvook unit. The system has been NATO-tested. The NW0 tactical sensor variant is designed for forward-deployed FPV drone detection at unit level, though specific unit-level deployments have not been named in public reporting.

Sources & verification

🔒 BattlePolicy Pro — the analyst verdict on Zvook follows: where this file is strong, where the evidence is thin, and what would change our assessment. Unlock with BattlePolicy Pro →