Greece's New Defense Tech: Velos Rotors, Sotiria Technology, Hack the Box
Greece is transitioning from conventional defense methods to cutting-edge technology, emphasizing drones, autonomous systems, and cybersecurity. During a conference in May, Defense Minister Nikos Dendias remarked, "The solutions to tomorrow's problems will not come from the dinosaurs of yesterday." This transformation is spearheaded by three companies: 1. Velos Rotors, established by Aris Kolokythas, creates UAVs such as the V-Twin and V3, which were utilized by MissionGo in 2021 to transport a pancreas and are being considered for battlefield applications in Ukraine. 2. Sotiria Technology, launched in 2021 by CEO Angelos Tsereklas Zafeirakis, specializes in underwater sensing systems and has secured a €110,000 grant from NATO. 3. Hack the Box, founded by Haris Pylarinos, is a cybersecurity platform boasting nearly five million users and has attracted $66.9 million in investments. Greece's defense budget for 2025 is set at €6.9 billion, as part of a €25 billion modernization plan.
Key facts
- Greece's defense minister Nikos Dendias said 'The solutions to tomorrow's problems will not come from the dinosaurs of yesterday' at a May conference.
- Velos Rotors' V-Twin is a two-meter-long UAV with a carbon-fibre fuselage.
- Velos Rotors' V3 can carry a 5kg payload for up to an hour at 60km/h.
- In 2021, Velos technology was used by MissionGo to transport a human pancreas in Minnesota.
- Sotiria Technology was founded in 2021 and received a €110,000 Nato accelerator grant.
- Sotiria Technology presented its technology to the US Navy at Naval Station Newport last summer.
- Hack the Box has nearly five million users and about 3,000 sign-ups per day.
- Hack the Box has raised $66.9m (€58.8m) and has offices in New York and Sydney.
- Greece's defence spending in 2025 is €6.9bn, 2.8% of GDP.
- Greece announced a 12-year strategy in spring 2025 with €25bn investment.
- Greece acquired 24 Dassault Rafale fighter jets since 2022, last delivered January 2025.
- Greece is progressing on acquiring 20 F-35 aircraft valued at approximately €3.5bn.
Entities
Artists
- Aris Kolokythas
- Angelos Tsereklas Zafeirakis
- Haris Pylarinos
Institutions
- Velos Rotors
- Sotiria Technology
- Hack the Box
- MissionGo
- US Navy
- Naval Station Newport
- Nato
- US Department of Defense
- FBI
- Siemens
- Verizon
- Monocle
Locations
- Greece
- Athens
- Ukraine
- Minnesota
- UK
- Canada
- India
- Thailand
- Malaysia
- New York
- Sydney
- France
Sources
- Monocle —