NATO launches €1bn fund to invest in war startups
NATO is planning to harness the knowhow of startups to develop its next generation of war machines. The transatlantic defence alliance has announced that it is to launch a startup accelerator programme and a €1bn investment fund focused on deeptech startups.
The disruptive technologies that NATO is interested in include artificial intelligence, data and computing, autonomy, quantum-enabled technologies, bioengineering, human enhancements, hypersonic technology, and space.
“We are looking at how we maintain our technical edge,” said David van Weel, NATO’s Assistant Secretary General for emerging security challenges. Working with startups will form an increasingly important part of this, he said.
“Innovation doesn’t come from within the defence sector the way it used to 30 or 40 years ago. Innovation has shifted to a place where we are no longer present so we are reconnecting to that.”
The plans come amid growing unease among NATO leaders about China’s military ambitions. Given the Chinese government’s heavy spending on AI, it is not surprising that this features high on the list of technologies that the NATO accelerator plans to focus on.
