Defense Tech Needs an ‘Android of Robotics’, Says XTEND CEO
Defense Tech Needs an ‘Android of Robotics’, Says XTEND CEO
Publish Date: 2026-07-08 09:09:00
Source Domain: www.benzinga.com
Rather than competing to manufacture every drone, robot and autonomous system, the bigger opportunity lies in building what Shapira calls the “Android of robotics”—a software platform that connects hardware from countless manufacturers into a single AI-powered operating system.
A Different Vision From Anduril
Shapira is quick to credit Anduril for reshaping investor perceptions of the defense industry.
“Palmer Luckey proved that a venture-backed company could outperform the traditional primes,” he told Benzinga in an exclusive email interview, helping establish defense as “a real technology category instead of a niche.”
But that’s where the similarities end.
While Anduril has built its business around vertically integrated hardware, platforms and manufacturing, XTEND is pursuing what Shapira describes as a fundamentally different strategy. “We’re building XTEND as a software layer that sits on top of everyone else’s hardware,” he said. “Think of XTEND as the Android of robotics, harnessing AI-powered task-based ‘skills’ across countless third-party platforms, payloads and command-and-control systems.”
Rather than competing with drone manufacturers, XTEND aims to enable them.
That approach, Shapira argues, leaves the company with “very few direct competitors” because it is focused on making different robotic systems work together instead of replacing them.
Why Software May Capture More Value
The strategy reflects a broader belief about where long-term value in defense technology will ultimately reside.
“The operating system layer is where the durable value sits,” Shapira said, drawing a parallel with the smartphone industry, where operating systems became as strategically important as the devices themselves.
That philosophy also shapes how XTEND views the future of military AI.
While companies often focus on building more powerful hardware, Shapira argues software remains the bigger challenge. Modern defense systems must continue…
