The 21 European investors funding NATO’s defence and innovation

NATO’s Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) has unveiled an initial roster of 24 investors joining the NATO DIANA Capital Network (NDCN). Among the investors are 21 European-based entities such as Bpifrance, DTCP, and Project A. The NDCN's objective is to foster the growth of innovative solutions vital to Allied security.

NATO DIANA Acting Managing Director Jyoti Hirani-Driver expressed her satisfaction, stating that the network is a key facilitator of the Alliance's technological and defensive advantage. The network connects NATO-aligned capital with promising innovators, accelerating technologies into real-world capabilities within a secure and values-based ecosystem.

The launch of the NDCN coincides with significant capital investment in European defence and dual-use technology in 2026. Notable investments include €1.73 billion in EU-startups this year, led by Munich-based Quantum Systems, Finland's ICEYE, and London-based Kraken Technology Group. Some NDCN members have already participated in these investments, with DTCP backing Kraken and Norway's Six Robotics, and the NATO Innovation Fund investing in Kraken, Greenjets and Uplift360 and leading Kelluu’s €15 million Series A. The NDCN, launched in April 2026, is a select and NATO-screened network of trusted investors dedicated to backing dual-use and DeepTech companies from DIANA.

The network comprises sovereign and sovereign-backed funds, venture capital firms, family offices, and institutional investors from the 32 NATO Allied nations. The NDCN offers members structured access to DIANA's screened company pipeline, connections to other Alliance investors, exclusive events with NATO leadership and end-users, and a fee-free model.

The NDCN is part of the broader NATO DIANA network that identifies and accelerates advanced technologies to deliver winning defence and security solutions for the Alliance, while promoting DeepTech innovation. Additional investors in the inaugural class include Alpine Space Ventures (Germany), Bpifrance (France), DTCP (India), Project A (Sweden), Sunfish Partners (UK), Vsquared VC (UK), among others.