Israeli Startup Fighting Hamas Tunnels Secures Millions from Anduril and SpaceX Executives
Israeli defense startup Traysar, specializing in underground warfare technologies, has raised $25 million from private investors including senior executives from Anduril, SpaceX engineers, Craft Ventures, Lux Capital, and Entree Capital. Founded in 2024 by Yadin Sofer, Asher Katz, and Gilad Edin, Traysar develops engineering vehicles and mining machines designed to detect and destroy terror tunnels and underground military bases. The company employs about 20 people across Tel Aviv and Austin, Texas, and is valued at approximately $100 million.
Traysar unveiled its technology last week at an industry conference in Detroit, showcasing a miniature bulldozer-like machine equipped with a hydraulic drill and explosive delivery system for tunnel demolition. The system has already been tested in Gaza terror tunnels and is intended for use against smuggling tunnels along the US-Mexico border. The startup also plans to develop a tunnel boring machine capable of reaching deep underground military sites in countries like Iran, Russia, China, and North Korea.
The involvement of Anduril executives, including CEO Brian Schimpf and chairman Trey Stevens, alongside SpaceX engineers, stems from Traysar’s ties to Elon Musk’s Boring Company, which focuses on transportation tunnel excavation. Although Musk himself has not confirmed investment, he has publicly advocated for increased focus on subterranean warfare. Traysar’s CEO Sofer, a serial entrepreneur and former TED Israel founder, emphasized the strategic importance of underground combat, citing recent US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites as a wake-up call about the challenges of targeting deeply buried threats.
Despite Israel’s advanced understanding of tunnel warfare, the US lacks a clear policy or many startups focused on this domain, apart from divisions within large defense contractors like Boeing. Traysar aims to fill this gap by educating the market and developing tailored systems to meet US defense needs. The company also hopes to influence US strategic discourse to include subterranean domains alongside air, land, sea, and space.
Traysar’s founders include former Israeli military and media leaders, with strong personal and professional ties enhancing their collaborative efforts. The startup’s innovative approach and high-profile backing position it as a key player in the emerging field of underground defense technology.
