Trump’s son invested in an Israeli defense startup

The transaction will be carried out in a share swap format and is accompanied by a pre-listing investment in XTEND in the amount of $152 million. Among the investors is the son of US President Donald Trump, Eric. In addition to Trump Jr., the deal includes investment fund Protego, which specializes in the defense sector, as well as Unusual Machines American Ventures LLC and Aliya Capital.

Upon completion of the transaction, the combined company will be called XTEND AI Robotics and trade on NASDAQ. Under the terms of the agreement, XTEND shareholders will own approximately 70% of the combined company, while JFB shareholders will own approximately 30%.

XTEND, founded in 2018 by Aviv Shapiro, Matan Shapiro, Ruby Liani and Adir Tobi, develops remotely operated robotic systems – air, land and sea – designed for military and law enforcement agencies.

Let us recall that in 2024, Newsru.co.il readers named Xtend the startup of the year for creating a platform that allows coordinating the work of a swarm of drones. In 2025, the startup received an order from the IDF to supply 5,000 kamikaze drones to infantry units.