The NATO DIANA innovation accelerator has announced its third annual set of challenges and opened a new call for applications. DIANA’s mission is to discover the next generation of dual-use deep technologies to help advance its mission of building a peaceful, secure, and resilient future.
According to Minister of Economy and Industry Erkki Keldo, Estonia’s defence industry has grown rapidly in recent years, but there is still considerable untapped potential—both in defence and in dual-use technologies. “The NATO DIANA accelerator is a great example of how startup entrepreneurship can meet research-intensive defence innovation – together, they help boost our economy and national security. NATO’s significantly increased investment in innovation has opened opportunities for companies to develop cutting-edge technologies in Estonia, and I encourage everyone to make active use of this accelerator,” he said.
All NATO allies have contributed to defining a set of mission-critical challenges for which innovative technological solutions are now being sought. Startups from across NATO are invited to apply to the accelerator with technologies that have applications in both civilian and defence contexts.
“NATO DIANA’s new call is an excellent opportunity for Estonian entrepreneurs to contribute to international security through the development of advanced technologies. I urge our startups and entrepreneurs to seize this chance to help shape the future of transatlantic defence. We also welcome companies from across the Alliance to join us in Estonia – we offer a fertile environment for developing and testing dual-use technologies, along with a strong commitment to NATO’s innovation objectives,” said Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur.
Selected companies will receive €100,000 in contractual funding, with top performers eligible for up to an additional €300,000 in the next programme phase. Participants will also gain access to over 180 test centres, a tailored programme bridging defence and commercial sectors, and a network of top-tier mentors from across the Alliance. DIANA offers support and connections to help civilian-sector companies enter the traditionally high-barrier defence market.
This year, DIANA is seeking innovative deep tech solutions in ten focus areas: energy and power, advanced communication technologies, contested electromagnetic environments, human resilience and biotechnologies, critical infrastructure and logistics, operations in extreme environments, maritime operations, resilient space operations, autonomy and unmanned systems, and data assisted decision making.
“We increased the number of challenges from five to ten this year to give even more entrepreneurs and innovators the opportunity to propose solutions that meet the Alliance’s real defence needs. For businesses, the programme offers an excellent insight into the specific nature and commercial potential of the defence sector and helps them get a ‘foot in the door’ in what has traditionally been a rather closed ecosystem,” explained Kadri Tammai, NATO DIANA Regional Director.
In its first year, DIANA received over 1,300 applications, the stringent selection process allowed for one Estonian startup which was GaltTec, based in Tartu. The second year saw more than 2,600 applicants, with 74 companies selected to join the programme – 7 of them completed it in Estonia. Among these were two Estonian companies, Telearmy and Wayren. The latter recently signed a €7.9 million strategic investment agreement with the EFA Group, one of the world’s leading defence industry groups.
“The NATO DIANA accelerator is an excellent opportunity both for developing breakthrough defence technologies and for bringing Estonian companies onto the international stage. The fact that three Estonian companies have been selected over just two rounds is a remarkable achievement – the competition has been exceptionally strong,” said Agnes Roos, Member of the Management Board at Tehnopol. She added that the accelerator’s aim to support innovation that impacts the development of the defence industry and overall security aligns closely with Tehnopol’s mission to empower world-changing innovation and technology entrepreneurship.
Applications for the DIANA accelerator are open until 11 July. The 6-month programme will begin in January 2026. All dual-use deep tech companies registered in a NATO member state are eligible to apply. More information, as well as the application form: www.diana.nato.int
The NATO DIANA Estonian accelerator is led by Tehnopol Startup Incubator in collaboration with Sparkup Tartu Science Park. The programme is funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, with additional support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Defence, and the City of Tallinn.
Pictures: https://tinyurl.com/NATODIANA26
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Meediakontaktid:
Sabina Sägi
NATO DIANA Eesti kiirendi kogukonna- ja kommunikatsioonijuht
sabina.sagi@tehnopol.ee
5630 3864
