D4D Deploy for Defense
Asia-Pacific's first civilian-led defense builder hackathon is done. Over three days in Seoul, 142 builders from 7 countries formed 54 teams and shipped 47 solutions in 24 hours — and nine days later, an Oregon MOU turned the inaugural edition into a live U.S. entry pathway.
500+
Attendees
Across 3 days
142
Builders
From 7 countries
54
Teams
Formed for the 24h build
47
Solutions
Shipped in 24 hours
8
Winning Teams
Across 5 tracks
92%
Came from outside the traditional defense sector
8+
Press features across Korean and English media
1,500+
LinkedIn reactions across 30+ posts
Winning Teams
Eight teams were recognized: one winner in each of five tracks, plus two teams selected for the Oregon UAS Accelerator U.S.-entry track.
T-01
Autonomy, Unmanned Systems & Counter-UAS
Winner
Team BONE
AI-driven autonomous counter-UAS interception system
T-02
OSINT & Defense Intelligence
Winner
DoS · ANGAE
Dark-web threat analysis and deception intelligence
T-03
Battlefield Networks & C2
Winner
DELPHI
Multi-domain command and control network
T-04
Maritime Domain Awareness
Winner
SEASIDE
Dark-vessel and subsea-cable threat detection
T-05
Combat Readiness & Training
Winner
Nyx
AI-based combat-readiness training
U.S. Entry Track
Selected — Oregon UAS Accelerator
Selected
Supporty · Kestrel
Two additional teams were selected for a U.S.-entry track linked to the Oregon UAS Accelerator program.
AI-Based Interceptor Drone Platform
Team BONE — BONE AI with its subsidiary D-Makers (디메이커스) — a four-developer team including AI engineer Dr. Josh Liu.
- ▸ Rapid-acceleration control with precision hovering
- ▸ Vision-based autonomous operation
- ▸ LiDAR-based obstacle recognition
The team flew a high-speed interceptor safely indoors, demonstrating manual interception, automatic interception, and swarm operation scenarios.
BONE AI builds full-stack physical AI — in-house AI, software, and robotics hardware — and is extending its platforms beyond drones into surface vessels, aircraft, and ground vehicles.
How Entries Were Scored
Field Applicability
Would an operator actually use this?
Problem-Solving Fit
Does it answer the track's problem statement?
Technical Implementation
How far did the build actually get in 24 hours?
Scalability
Can it grow beyond a hackathon prototype?
Why D4D?
In the US and Europe, defense hackathons are proven accelerators — turning prototypes into funded products with government backing. Asia-Pacific had no civilian-led platform connecting builders directly to defense validation, investment, and procurement pipelines. D4D built one.
Build
24 hours of focused building with on-site mentorship from military officers, defense engineers, and technology executives — against real problem statements from real defense operators. 54 teams formed; 47 solutions shipped.
Connect
500+ attendees over three days, including 200+ builders and officials — global defense company representatives, Korean venture capital partners, military officers, reservists, engineers, and designers. 92% came from outside the traditional defense sector.
Deploy
Not just a trophy — a launchpad. Nine days after the closing ceremony, an Oregon MOU opened a direct U.S. demonstration and market-entry pathway for selected teams.
“Korea's defense industry has long been defined by the export success stories of major companies such as Hanwha Aerospace and Korea Aerospace Industries, and this was the first event to identify the startup and builder ecosystem beneath them.”
From Concept to U.S. Entry in 49 Days
40 days from first concept to the opening ceremony. Another nine to a signed U.S. pathway.
May 25, 2026
Planning Begins
Concept, tracks, and venue locked in.
June 3, 2026
Applications Open
Registration opens on Luma.
June 19, 2026
D-14 — 130 Approved
Serving military, civilians, and developers approved to attend.
July 3–5, 2026
D4D Seoul
3 days · 24-hour build · 47 solutions shipped.
July 14, 2026
Oregon MOU
Nine days after the event, the U.S. entry pathway is signed.
Start from Seoul,
Go Global with Oregon
The Oregon UAS Accelerator delegation visited Korea nine days after the hackathon and signed a partnership MOU covering Business Oregon, the Oregon Department of Aviation, and the Oregon UAS Accelerator — the first Korean case of a domestic hackathon feeding directly into a U.S. entry pathway. Selected teams Supporty and Kestrel were connected to the accelerator program.
Full results coverage on KDReviewPendleton UAS Range
14,000 mi²
Test airspace
300+
Flyable days per year
Defense & public
Live demonstration demand
Who Showed Up
92% of participants came from outside the traditional defense sector.
Military & Veterans
Active duty, reservists, defense sector workers
Engineers & AI Devs
Software engineers, AI/ML developers, roboticists
Designers & PMs
Product managers, designers, researchers
Entrepreneurs
Founders, startup builders, defense innovators
Judges & Mentors
Global defense company executives
Major Korean venture capital partners
Korean military officials & veterans
A judge-authored insight series from the event is being published on an ongoing basis.
Partners & Supporters
Palantir
Partner
StealthMole
Track Sponsor (OSINT)
BONE AI
Track Partner
F4GE
Track Partner
Morph Systems
Track Partner
Prairie Schooner
Track Partner
Oregon UAS Accelerator
Ecosystem Partner
EDTH
Ecosystem Partner — European Defense Tech Hub
KDReview
Data Partner
About the Organizer
EGCED Tech (익시드테크)
Founded by Kanggeun Choi (최강근 · David Choi) — Founder & CEO, ex-ROK Special Forces officer
After two years immersed in the US and European defense-tech ecosystems — including the SF NatSec Hackathon and EDTH — EGCED Tech founder Kanggeun Choi identified a gap: APAC lacked a civilian-led platform connecting builders directly to defense validation and investment pipelines. D4D was created to bring the hackathon-to-deployment culture to Asia-Pacific, and the inaugural Seoul edition went from concept to a U.S. entry pathway in 49 days.
View EGCED Tech profile on KDReviewKDReview — Official Data Partner
KDReview profiles the startups and defense companies behind D4D — providing structured company profiles, product data, and market context so attendees, investors, and partners can discover and evaluate the builders who competed at the hackathon.
40+
Contracts Tracked
12+
Companies Profiled
25+
Weapons Systems
100+
News Items
Seoul Was the Starting Point
The stated goal is a leading Asia-Pacific platform where defense startups, their technology, and their data converge — connecting builders, the military, and investors in the way Ukraine's BRAVE1 does. D4D's APAC footing came through partnership with EDTH, Europe's largest defense-tech builder community.
Conversations are underway to bring D4D to more of Asia-Pacific.
D4D Seoul 2026 archive: event page on Luma
Press Coverage
The Korea Times
D4D hackathon lays foundation for defense AI ecosystem in APAC — July 12, 2026
이데일리 마켓in
K방산 다음 격전지는 스타트업 — July 6, 2026
와우테일 (WowTale)
본에이아이·디메이커스 연합 '팀 본', 1회 아태 지역 디펜스 해커톤 우승 — July 13, 2026
벤처스퀘어 (VentureSquare)
첫 APAC 디펜스 해커톤 제패한 '팀 본' — AI 요격 드론 기술력 입증 — July 2026
조선비즈
D4D 성료 — 47개 솔루션 도출 — July 10, 2026
아시아경제
디펜스 빌더 중심 해커톤 D4D 성료 — "국방도 스타트업이 만드는 시대" — July 10, 2026
전자신문 (ET News)
D4D Hackathon Seoul 2026 announced — June 8, 2026
All Editions
D4D is an annual event. Future editions will be listed here.