NATO DIANA selects 10 companies from AI challenge

NATO’s Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) has selected 10 companies to develop AI, machine learning, and software solutions to bolster the alliance’s approach to operational planning and execution following a challenge process. 

The companies were chosen after applying to DIANA’s Decision Superiority for NATO Warfighters Challenge, which was launched in April. 

As an ad-hoc challenge – launched separately to DIANA’s annual challenge calls – this initiative seeks to complement NATO’s acquisition of Palantir’s Maven Smart System in [when]. This system uses AI to integrate data from all types of assets into a single decision-support platform. 

The list of successful companies was announced by DIANA on 9 July, with each set to receive EUR100,000 to develop and demonstrate their software. The companies include: 

• Decent Cybersecurity 
• ETE Technology 
• Flai 
• Grist Mill Exchange 
• Hadean 
• Levato AS 
• Matrix Pro Sims 
• Onebrief 
• Picogrid 
• Watchtower Labs 

What comes next? 

These companies will “engage directly with NATO stakeholders”, including end users, to “refine their technologies and demonstrate their impact in a simulated, mission-relevant setting”, according to NATO. 

To achieve this, the companies’ software solutions will be integrated into a cloud environment. 

Following this, a demonstration phase is intended to take place “by December”, where the software provided by the companies will be “assessed by the relevant NATO commands”. 

Notably, the accelerator partnered with NATO Allied Command Operations (ACO) to deliver the challenge. 

Commenting on the process, Decent Cybersecurity said that it will be diving straight into workshops with ACO, before integrating their technology into a cloud environment. The company will then undertake demonstrations, and providing these go well, it could be eligible for “follow-on contracts through DIANA's Rapid Adoption Service.”