NATO Innovation Fund makes first investments to secure the future of the Alliance’s 1 billion citizens
2024年6月18日 - 5:22PM
ビジネスワイヤ(英語)
- Equity investments to strengthen the defence, security and
resilience of Allies by revolutionising manufacturing, making air
travel faster and more fuel-efficient, advancing Artificial
Intelligence and powering autonomous robotic solutions
- Alpine Space Ventures, OTB Ventures, Join Capital and Vsquared
Ventures receive backing to support early-stage innovators with a
focus on strengthening both emerging and well-established deep tech
hubs
The NATO Innovation Fund announced today its first deep tech
investments to address challenges in defence, security and
resilience. These initial equity investments made by the €1 billion
Fund will help advance innovation in novel materials and
manufacturing, AI and robotics. The Fund is also making investments
to boost deep tech hubs in regions where capital for early-stage
startups is in high demand to promote the Alliance’s technological
sovereignty. To support the adoption of technologies in its
portfolio, the NATO Innovation Fund works closely with Allied
governments to provide its portfolio companies with access and
insights into defence, wider government and commercial markets and
opportunities.
“Enabling capital and support for strategic technologies is key
to securing a safe and prosperous future for the Alliance's 1
billion citizens,” said Andrea Traversone, Managing Partner,
NATO Innovation Fund. “Today, we are proud to share that we
have invested in innovative solutions that can help address some of
our greatest challenges and boost growth, strengthening the
defence, security, and resilience of our nations for generations to
come.”
“This is a tremendous milestone for the NATO Innovation Fund,”
said David van Weel, Assistant Secretary General for Innovation,
Hybrid and Cyber. “With these investments, the Fund is now
starting to make a tangible difference in our innovation
ecosystems, providing growth opportunities to the most promising
dual-use and defence companies developing solutions to maintain the
Alliance’s technological edge.”
“Congratulations to NIF’s investment team on reaching this
significant milestone,” said Dr. Klaus Hommels, Chair, NATO
Innovation Fund. “This initial portfolio of investments
exemplifies NIF’s mission to advance defence, security and
resilience and promote the development of dual-use ecosystems
across the NATO Alliance.”
Direct investments in emerging deep tech startups in Europe
and the UK
The Fund's investments will help remove barriers to growth for
emerging technologies in Europe and the UK - from advancing our
collective AI capabilities to pushing the boundaries of
manufacturing novel materials.
The Fund’s direct investments include:
- ARX Robotics, a manufacturer of scalable robotic systems
for mass deployment in defence, commercial and humanitarian
applications to future-proof armed forces, and increase the safety
and efficiency of workforces.
- Fractile, an AI company that is developing
transformative computing technology to enhance collective AI
capabilities by enabling the largest and most capable neural
networks of today and tomorrow to run faster, more efficiently and
sustainably.
- iCOMAT, an advanced composite manufacturing company that
delivers lighter, stronger and more sustainable structures for
aerospace and automotive vehicles faster and more
cost-effectively.
- Space Forge, a company that utilises the space
environment to manufacture advanced semiconductor materials for
critical infrastructure, ensuring more powerful and resilient
capabilities across telecommunications, aerospace, and
quantum.
“The NATO Innovation Fund's support for Space Forge's ambition
is a testament to what we're building,” said Joshua Western, CEO
& Co-Founder of Space Forge. “Occupying the domains of
semiconductor manufacturing and spacecraft production is complex.
This investment enables Space Forge to develop the production class
version of its ForgeStar architecture and provide a critical
advantage in key technologies with its advanced semiconductor
materials. It is a privilege to serve the NATO Alliance.”
Fund investments to power the Alliance’s startup
ecosystem
To enable the growth of innovators at every stage, the NATO
Innovation Fund is also backing venture capital fund managers that
invest in early-stage deep tech with a focus on civilian, and
defence, security and resilience markets. Backing these funds will
help grow capacity in regions where funding is in high demand to
support the next generation of deep tech unicorns.
Regions of focus include ecosystems that have faced barriers to
accessing funding in the past - such as Southern and Eastern Europe
- as well as ecosystems with a rapidly growing number of deep tech
startups - such as the Nordics. The NATO Innovation Fund aims to
support funds with expertise and interest in a wide range of deep
tech solutions - from space tech to quantum cryptography and AI,
including:
- Alpine Space Ventures, an early-stage fund focused on
investments in the space sector, leveraging over 50 years of
industry experience. With a concentrated portfolio, the fund aims
to empower select startups to deliver key space-enabled
capabilities.
- OTB Ventures, an early growth (Seed and Series A) deep
tech fund originating from Central Europe, with investment focus in
spacetech, enterprise automation & AI, cybersecurity, and
fintech infrastructure.
- Join Capital, a Berlin-based early-stage venture capital
fund, focused on deep tech investments across industrial and
enterprise tech.
- Vsquared Ventures, which invests in early stage deep
tech companies that are building groundbreaking technologies
addressing some of society’s most pressing challenges, to become
global leaders out of Europe. Vsquared focuses on AI & next-gen
software, energy transition, new computing and sensing, new space,
robotics and manufacturing, and tech-bio.
“Europe's deep tech sector, powered by a rich talent pool, is
poised to tackle global challenges through advanced technologies.
Investing in deep tech requires time and skills but brings
tremendous opportunities,” said Adam Niewinski, co-founder and
Managing Partner, OTB Ventures. “The founding of the NATO
Innovation Fund (NIF) underscores the vital role of these
investments and brings the know-how to take them to new markets and
use cases.”
Backed by 24 NATO Allies, the NATO Innovation Fund finances
innovators across a wide range of emerging technology sectors,
including energy, quantum computing, artificial intelligence,
autonomy, novel materials, space, biotechnology, hypersonic systems
and next-generation communications.
Building on this initial portfolio of investments, the Fund will
provide deep tech entrepreneurs with the support they need for up
to 15 years, as well as the conviction and agility necessary to
commercialise and implement their solutions at scale.
About the NATO Innovation Fund:
The NATO Innovation Fund is a venture capital fund, backed by 24
NATO Allies, that deploys more than €1 billion in deep tech to
address challenges in defence, security, and resilience. The fund
invests independently, with 24 nations supporting its portfolio’s
success and helping provide deep tech entrepreneurs with access to
both commercial and government markets.
Participating NATO Allies are: Belgium; Bulgaria; Czechia;
Denmark; Estonia; Finland; Germany; Greece; Hungary; Iceland;
Italy; Latvia; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Netherlands; Norway; Poland;
Portugal; Romania; Slovakia; Spain; Sweden; Türkiye; United
Kingdom
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240617573406/en/
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