Research

The forces shaping what comes next.

The same questions that inform our investment decisions shape the research we share. We study the market, policy, and technological shifts reshaping critical and emerging technologies to understand where demand is heading, what changes matter, and what they mean for founders and investors. We don't publish to react to the market — we publish to understand it.

Research

CET Ventures Research

In-depth analysis of the forces reshaping U.S.–Israel defense technology and what they mean for founders and investors.

Inaugural Edition · October 2026

The Israeli CET Market Map: Mapping Israeli Startups to America's Critical and Emerging Technologies

By Azi Jacobson

Our first Israeli CET Market Map pairs Israel's startup ecosystem with the 14 Critical and Emerging Technology areas in the White House's August 2026 update. Of more than 800 companies evaluated, we verified 359 and mapped each to one CET area and subcategory, showing where Israel is strong, where it is crowded, and where the openings are.

Key conclusions
  • 359 Israeli companies, verified from more than 800 evaluated, mapped across 14 CET areas and 55 subcategories.
  • The drone fight is where Israel is deepest, and it is getting crowded. 55 of the 359 companies build drones, fly them, or take them down, in line with DIU's recent focus on cheap unmanned systems at scale, counter-drone, and unmanned boats. Programs pick only a few vendors, so a sharp answer to what makes a company different matters.
  • Israel builds what goes inside the system. Sensors, communications gear, and chips account for 137 companies, 38% of the map, while only about 30 build a complete platform. The fastest way into the U.S. market is usually through a prime, as a supplier or partner.
  • The gaps are in the expensive fields. Nine of the 14 CET areas hold just 88 companies, and 13 of the 55 subcategories have three or fewer, including quantum sensing, radiation-hardened electronics, and energetics. These are U.S. national security priorities and the biggest openings on the map.
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Vol. 1, No. 2 · May 2026

The Fiber-Optic Drone Problem: Solving the Unjammable Threat

By Barry Mannis and Azi Jacobson

Low-cost fiber-optic FPV drones bypass every existing counter-UAS system — an unjammable, no-warning threat. We document The CET Sandbox's response (Operation Northern Shield), apply the Iron Dome playbook, and explain why “inexpensive, simple, scalable, sufficient” is replacing “exquisite” as the primary U.S. procurement driver.

Key conclusions
  • Low-cost fiber-optic FPVs bypass all existing counter-UAS systems — a lethal, no-warning threat immune to jamming, GPS spoofing, and the entire electronic warfare solution set.
  • The CET Sandbox launched Operation Northern Shield: TRL 5+ startups, defense officials, and frontline IDF operators convened in Tel Aviv with a 30-day field deployment goal.
  • The Iron Dome playbook applies: Israeli ingenuity proves the concept, U.S. scales the manufacturing — integrate fast and accept imperfection.
  • “Inexpensive, simple, scalable, sufficient” is replacing “exquisite”; cost-effectiveness now rivals technological edge as the primary U.S. procurement driver.
  • With the U.S.–Israel MOU expiring, the moment calls for a standing joint Defense Innovation Lab, not ad-hoc responses to each new threat.
Vol. 1, No. 1 · March 2026

One Plus One Is Eleven: U.S.–Israel Combat Integration and What It Means for Defense Tech Investors

By Barry Mannis

Our inaugural report examines the most consequential development in the U.S.–Israel relationship in decades: the shift from coordination to genuine combat integration, and what it means for founders and investors in Israeli defense tech. We argue the outlook is bullish, with a clear premium on “U.S.-ready,” plug-and-play companies.

Key conclusions
  • Decades of growing U.S.–Israel defense ties made joint combat instantly effective.
  • Complementary strengths have ignited powerful synergies and seamless operation.
  • Trust and admiration for Israel in the U.S. Defense Industrial Base has risen sharply.
  • History suggests that shared combat produces deeper integration of innovation.
  • The war's outcome and shifting U.S. political dynamics remain key risks to integration.
  • The outlook is bullish for venture investors in Israeli defense tech.
  • We place a premium on U.S.-ready companies with plug-and-play technologies.
  • Segment to watch: AI-driven tech to secure communications for autonomous systems.