NATO DIANA Estonian accelerator
NATO DIANA (Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic) invites innovative startups from across NATO to apply and bring their groundbreaking solutions to the forefront of defence and security.
The DIANA accelerator aims to support deep tech startups contributing to national security and defence by connecting talented innovators with end-users of new technologies. The accelerator allows startups from both Estonia and other NATO member states to develop their products and business models and find partners in the alliance-wide defence market, which is typically closed and has high entry barriers. The DIANA accelerator provides funding, accelerator programming, mentorship, testing facilities, and access to trusted investor and end-user networks to help companies move from ideation to real-world adoption in both defence and civilian markets.
During the pilot year, 1300 companies applied and 44 were selected. These companies were then divided among 5 sites throughout the alliance, including 9 companies at the accelerator site in Tallinn. During the second (and current) year, over 2600 companies applied, 74 were selected and divided between 13 sites, including 7 startups in Tallinn. The competitive landscape makes it possible to continue fostering cutting-edge innovation in this quickly changing sector.
The team behind the NATO DIANA Estonian accelerator is organising the first day (22.09) of Estonian Defence Week. The day will focus on dual-use startups through engaging keynotes and explosive panel discussions. Together with our neighbour countries, we will offer investors and startups an opportunity to speed-date and find their perfect matches. End-users will be able to meet NATO DIANA teams and alumni from various accelerator sites to have their pick among the most promising solutions throughout the NATO countries.
Detailed agenda to follow.