Posts Tagged ‘Nato Diana’
Estonia launches Defence Business Lab for startups
To secure the status of Europe’s frontier DefenceTech destination, Estonia is moving fast, and is now building a pipeline for defence startups to win major international funding. Estonia’s Ministry of Defence, in collaboration with the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, has established a pre-accelerator programme called the Defence Business Lab, according to the official press release.
Designed to help local companies compete more effectively in major international defence funding competitions, the programme aims to prepare early-stage development teams for successful applications to NATO DIANA (Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic) and the European Defence Fund (EDF), two significant sources of defence funding.
Read full announcement (external link)
Originally published on 2 Feb
Read MoreKicking Off NATO DIANA’s 2026 Programme
Last week marked the start of DIANA’s 2026 Programme, with 16 different regional kick-offs taking place across the Alliance. These events not only kicked off the official start of DIANA innovators’ acceleration journey, but also brought together a world-class community of innovators, industry leaders, accelerator partners, and defence representatives, all eager to shape the future of the Alliance.
The 2026 programme features DIANA’s largest cohort to date, involving 150 innovators with a clear mission: to drive innovation while helping ensure that the Alliance remains at the forefront of global defence and security challenges.
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Originally published on 30 Jan
Read MoreFrom Capital to Capability: Understanding Needs and Building Trust Across the Region
On 6 November, more than 80 participants gathered at Tehnopol for a sold-out event hosted by the NATO DIANA Estonian Accelerator. The aim was to help defence and dual-use startups gain a clearer understanding of current needs in Latvia and see where their work could meaningfully contribute within the regional landscape.
The keynote was given by Rihards Miķelsons, Head of Industry Development at the Autonomous Systems Competence Centre of Latvia. He introduced the Centre’s testing environments across land, sea and urban settings, and explained how operational experience and structured trials support companies moving toward real deployment. For founders, the key takeaway was that collaboration in Latvia is practical and within reach. There are defined paths to test systems, gather feedback and understand user needs in conditions that reflect real use rather than laboratory evaluation.
Regional cooperation was discussed with a view to the near future. Estonia has been part of the NATO DIANA accelerator network since the pilot year and will launch its third cohort in 2026. Latvia and Finland will open their DIANA accelerator programmes in 2026. Bringing teams together at this stage helps establish shared understanding early and supports the development of solutions that are relevant across borders. For the Estonian accelerator, strengthening these relationships is important for continuing to broaden the ecosystem and ensure that promising technologies are able to develop into practical, deployable capability.
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Originally published on 7 Nov
Read MoreEstonia secures strong position in NATO DIANA defence innovation programme
Today, as part of the second year of the NATO DIANA innovation accelerator, the companies selected for the programme’s next phase were announced. A total of 2613 companies applied to join the second cohort of NATO DIANA, of which 73 were chosen for the first phase – including two Estonian startups. Each team selected for phase two will receive up to €300 000 from NATO DIANA, in addition to the €100 000 grant funding awarded in the first phase.
Seven companies took part in the programme at the NATO DIANA Estonian accelerator, including two Estonian firms – Wayren and Telearmy. Now, as only 15 companies from across the alliance move forward to the second phase, three of them are teams accelerated their growth in Estonia’s accelerator, including both Estonian startups. Alongside the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, Estonia is one of the only countries represented by two or more firms, giving Estonia one of the strongest showings among NATO nations in the second phase.
“I am very pleased to see Estonia’s contribution to NATO DIANA stand out so strongly. The fact that three teams accelerated here – including two of our own defence industry companies – have advanced to the next stage shows how quickly Estonian entrepreneurs can adapt, act and seize opportunities. The same applies to our Defence Forces, who have been on board with testing new solutions. I dare say that Digital Nation 2.0 will gain momentum thanks to the successes of our defence industry,” said Hanno Pevkur, Minister of Defence.
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Originally published on 4 Sep
Read MoreNATO DIANA Estonian Accelerator Recap: Five Days of Innovation, Investment & Industry Insights
Last week, Estonia welcomed back some of the brightest minds in dual-use technology for an action-packed onsite experience at the NATO DIANA Estonian Accelerator. Over five days, the 7 teams tackled masterclasses, investment workshops, pitch sessions, and test centre visits, forging connections and shaping their solutions. Here’s a look back.
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Originally published on 19 Mar
Read MoreNATO DIANA Accelerator alumni GaltTec secures €1M to power drones and IoT devices with next-generation fuel cells
GaltTec, an Estonian deep-tech startup developing micro-tubular solid oxide fuel cells (mSOFCs) for portable and off-grid energy solutions, has successfully closed its pre-seed funding round, raising a total of €1 million from private investors and grants. The investment will accelerate the company’s mission to provide lightweight, long-lasting power solutions for drones and IoT devices, reducing reliance on conventional batteries. GaltTec was the only Estonian startup in the NATO DIANA Accelerator’s first batch.
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Originally published on 3 Mar
Read MoreEstonia is to host a defence industry themed event Estonian Defence Week
Estonian Defence and Aerospace Industry Association (EKTL) in cooperation with the Ministry of Defence, is organizing the first-ever Estonian Defence Week in September, bringing together domestic and international defence industry companies, investors, specialists, and policymakers. The week begins with an event organized by the NATO DIANA Estonian accelerator.
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Originally published on 17 Feb
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