[Image caption: Elsight’s HALO drone connectivity module]
Following dramatic sales growth in 2025, Ramat Gan–based Elsight has decided to establish a global sales and business development network focused primarily on the defense market for drone and unmanned systems technologies.
As part of this move, the company announced the appointment of five senior executives with operational and defense procurement experience, working with the U.S. Department of War, Israel’s defense establishment, and NATO allied governments.
CEO Yoav Amit said the expansion of the sales organization reflects the scale of new opportunities emerging in the defense market. “Unmanned systems are becoming a central component of modern military operations, which makes reliable connectivity a mission-critical capability.”
A Turnaround After Years of Slow Growth
Elsight develops communications systems for drones, but for many years its sales remained modest. The dramatic turnaround occurred over the past year.
In 2025, sales grew more than 15-fold compared with 2023 and more than 11-fold compared with 2024. Revenue reached approximately $23 million in 2025, compared with $2 million in 2024 and $1.5 million in 2023.
For the first time in its history, the company turned profitable.
The momentum was also reflected in the company’s share performance. Its stock on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) has surged roughly 1,500% over the past 12 months, giving the company a market capitalization of about A$1.1 billion (approximately $770 million).
The Insight That Drove the Shift
To understand the turnaround, one must look back at the company’s origins.
Elsight was founded in 2009 by former Israeli military intelligence officers Nir Gabay and Roee Kashi. In its early years, the company developed systems for real-time video and data transmission for homeland security and defense agencies.
Its technology allowed stable video streams to be transmitted from the field by combining multiple communication networks simultaneously, such as several cellular networks, helping overcome connectivity limitations in challenging environments.
In 2017 the company went public on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX).
Toward the end of the last decade, Elsight identified a strategic opportunity: reliable connectivity for mobile systems was one of the key bottlenecks in operating drones.
Modern drones must transmit real-time video, flight telemetry, and control commands, often across long distances and in areas with unstable cellular coverage.
To address this challenge, Elsight developed HALO, a compact communications module mounted on drones that aggregates multiple communication links — cellular, radio, and sometimes satellite — into a single stable connection.
The module enables continuous transmission of video, telemetry data, and control commands, even if one of the communication networks becomes weak or unavailable.
Demand Surge in the Military Drone Market
Elsight’s move into the drone sector coincided with a surge in demand for military unmanned systems.
As a result, the company began seeing a shift from pilot projects and technology demonstrations to actual orders from drone manufacturers.
In December 2025, Elsight reported the largest contract in its history — a roughly $21 million order from a European defense drone manufacturer.
At the same time, the company signed additional agreements with European unmanned systems manufacturers and was selected to participate in Project G.I., a program run by the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit that evaluates technologies for U.S. military unmanned systems.
Building a Global Sales Infrastructure
Against this backdrop, Elsight’s latest move becomes clearer: the company is positioning itself as a connectivity infrastructure provider for military and industrial drone programs and building a presence in major NATO markets and other strategic regions.
As part of this effort, the company appointed Ryan Garay, a former U.S. Army Green Beret specializing in tactical communications, to lead engagement with the U.S. government and special programs.
Roi Lupo, who served nearly two decades in the Israeli Air Force special forces before moving into defense business development in the United States, was appointed Director of Business Development for North America.
Ron Kislev, former CEO of UAV Tactical Systems and a former senior executive at Elbit Systems, will lead the company’s activities with the UK and NATO countries.
Tobias Willuhn, previously head of ISTAR and electronic warfare programs at Elbit Systems Germany, will lead operations in Germany, the European Union, and NATO markets.
Shay Dvir, formerly involved in business development at defense robotics companies XTEND and Roboteam, will lead the company’s activities in Israel and Southeast Asia.
If in its early years Elsight focused on communications technologies for niche defense applications, the company now aims to make HALO a standard connectivity component in drone platforms.
The recent appointments suggest Elsight expects demand for its technology to grow significantly in the coming years — and intends to position itself to capitalize on that wave.