After October 7, I got a slap in the face when I realized drones were not part of the system

Udi Oster, CEO of drone company Aitan, tells in an interview how after October 7, 2023, he realized drones were not part of the IDF's array, and how he transferred private drones to reservists. He described a command center he set up with Alon Dror to collect drone donations from the US, estimating that 3,000–4,000 drones arrived. Today his company is developing a unified operating system for drones, raising $15 million, and won a large IDF tender. The company is named in memory of his brother Eitan who fell in Lebanon.

In an interview with 'Calcalist Supplement', Udi Oster, CEO of drone company Aitan (formerly Eyesatop), tells how on October 8, 2023, a day after the massacre, he handed two private drones to a reservist he didn't know at a junction. He describes the realization that drones were not part of the IDF's array, and the activity of the command center he set up with Alon Dror to collect drone donations from the US, which arrived in Pelican cases with passengers. According to him, 3,000–4,000 drones arrived. Oster tells about his brother Eitan, a team commander in Egoz, who fell in Lebanon in October 2024, and that the company is named in his memory. He describes the development of the 'Ronen' system for controlling different types of drones, which was purchased for $1 million, and the growth to 50 employees and profitability. He notes that the company won a large IDF tender together with Kala, and is raising $15 million.