DIANA, an acronym for the Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic, serves as the focal point for NATO’s endeavours to enhance defence and dual-use innovation throughout the alliance. With an annual budget of €50 million dedicated to the program, NATO has established a €1 billion investment fund to make equity investments in dual-use companies.
Starting next year, selected startups will engage in an intensive six-month program, and the most successful ones will have the opportunity to extend their participation for an additional six months. Initially, these startups will receive a grant of €100,000, with a potential top-up of €300,000.
Participating startups will benefit from mentorship, as well as commercial, technical, and business support. They will also have the chance to test their solutions in specialized NATO test centers.
The inaugural cohort is concentrating on companies focused on three specific areas: energy resilience, sensing and surveillance, and secure information sharing.
About Lobster Robotics
Lobster develops lightweight, low-cost, and fast robots to photograph the seafloor.Enabling quantitative insights with visual mapping – At Lobster, we are motivated by making the oceans accessible. Our in-house developed camera system brings unparalleled clarity and precision to the study of changing underwater ecosystems, attributed to factors like global warming and human impact. Our innovative underwater visual survey technology captures the seabed in high detail, empowering marine ecologists and researchers with the data and tools they need to truly understand the underwater world.
About Kitepower
Kitepower is a leading start-up in Airborne Wind Energy. We develop innovative cost-effective mobile kite-wind-power-systems. We offer a renewable solution for remote locations and temporary installations where diesel is burned to create electricity. We can reach strong high altitude winds while using minimal resources. The environmental footprint is low and the power output immense. We envision a world where electricity is clean and affordable for everyone.
