As wars, energy pressures and the rapid rise of AI strain global infrastructure, a new category of technology is emerging at the intersection of commercial and defense systems.
Benhamou Global Ventures (BGV) moved to capitalize on that shift this week, launching a Dual Use Center of Excellence focused on scaling such technologies across global markets.
“This next phase reflects how we see the global technology landscape evolving,” said Eric Benhamou, founder and managing partner of BGV. “The convergence of AI, industrial systems, and national priorities is creating a new class of companies that operate at the core of both economic and strategic infrastructure.”
The announcement comes as governments and industries worldwide grapple with mounting pressure on energy systems, supply chains and digital infrastructure, driven in part by the expansion of AI technologies and ongoing global conflicts. BGV executives described the current moment as an “inflection point,” where systems developed for high-stakes environments, including defense , are rapidly finding broader commercial applications.
As an early example of the strategy, BGV confirmed an investment in Percepto, an Israeli company developing autonomous “drone-in-a-box” systems used for continuous inspection and monitoring of industrial sites. The technology is already deployed across energy, utilities and sensitive infrastructure globally, including major operators in the United States.
According to the firm, Percepto stands out for achieving what many dual-use startups struggle to reach: large-scale deployment across both commercial and defense-adjacent environments. Its platform has been used in oil refineries, power facilities and mining operations, and has secured regulatory approvals that remain rare in the sector.
BGV said the dual-use model allows companies to validate technologies in demanding, real-world conditions before scaling into broader markets, often resulting in more reliable systems and faster adoption.
“Dual-use companies benefit from early validation in high-stakes environments and scale across both markets,” said Barak Ben-Avinoam, a partner at the firm. “It’s less about how fast something grows and more about whether it becomes embedded infrastructure.”
The firm also pointed to Israel as a key source of such innovation, citing its concentration of engineering talent, defense-driven technological development and a startup ecosystem shaped by real-world deployment challenges. Israeli startups raised more than $10 billion in 2024 despite ongoing conflict, with a significant share directed toward deep-tech sectors, according to industry data.
The expansion comes alongside new hires, including partners Ziv Elul and Robert Pincas, venture partner Eitan Efron and operating partner Shiri Freund Koren, as BGV builds out its capabilities across global markets.
Still, executives acknowledged that scaling dual-use technologies internationally presents significant hurdles, from regulatory complexity to longer sales cycles and heightened scrutiny over security and compliance.
“There are real challenges,” the firm noted, pointing to differing regulations and political sensitivities across jurisdictions. But those barriers can also create competitive advantages for companies that successfully navigate them, building stronger market positions and deeper integrations.
The rapid growth of the sector reflects broader global trends. Defense spending is projected to approach $2.2 trillion by 2027, while analysts estimate a $500 billion market emerging around dual-use technologies. Venture capital investment in defense tech alone reached $28 billion in the first half of 2025.
BGV also addressed concerns surrounding the risks of dual-use AI systems, including potential misuse or escalation. The firm said it incorporates governance considerations into its investment decisions, working with advisory groups and industry experts to assess how technologies are designed, deployed and controlled.
“Our position is straightforward: the companies building the most important AI-powered infrastructure systems have a responsibility to lead on governance, not wait for regulation to catch up,” the firm said.
While global competition, particularly among the United States, China and allied tech ecosystems, is accelerating investment in the space, BGV said the shift is less about rivalry and more about necessity, as countries seek resilient, scalable infrastructure solutions.
The firm added that recent conflicts, including disruptions affecting global energy markets, have further accelerated demand from governments and industrial operators, pushing technologies from pilot stages into real-world deployment faster than in the past.
With more than $500 million in assets under management and a global presence spanning the United States, Israel, Europe, India and Japan, BGV said the new center positions it to identify and scale the next generation of AI-driven infrastructure companies.
“This isn’t a reactive shift,” the firm said. “What’s changed is the level of urgency — and the fact that infrastructure, energy and AI are now inseparable in how governments think about technology.”