NATO's DIANA has announced the innovators that will make up its 2026 Cohort! DIANA, also known as the Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic, is NATO's premier accelerator for dual-use technologies.
Its primary mission is to identify, develop, and deploy dual-use emerging and disruptive technologies (EDTs). DIANA acts as a bridge, recognizing that many of the most critical advancements in Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Computing, Biotechnology, and Autonomous Systems are coming from Industry.
DIANA aims to ensure the Alliance maintains its technological edge against potential adversaries who are aggressively modernizing their own capabilities.
DIANA became operational in 2023. It maintains the NATO DIANA North American regional office in Halifax, Nova Scotia, along with a regional office in London, England, and a regional hub in Tallinn, Estonia.
DIANA functions not as a single entity, but as an ever-increasing, decentralized network of infrastructure and centers spanning the Alliance’s member nations. It coordinates a transatlantic ecosystem that includes over a dozen accelerator sites and a network of nearly 200 test centres.
It leverages the unique infrastructure and capabilities that each member state brings to ensure that cohort members have access to whatever facilities that may be, in whatever environment they want to test in. This tackles one of the biggest issues that many SMEs and startups struggle with—access to the tools and spaces they need to get work done, facilitating the rapid Testing, Evaluation, Verification, and Validation (TEVV) of new technologies.
For those that don't know, the innovators selected for 2026 are divided into several different categories. These are:
Advanced Communications Technologies
Autonomy and Unmanned Systems
Contested Electromagnetic Environment
Critical Infrastructure and Logistics
Data Assisted Decision Making
Energy and Power
Human Resilience and Biotechnologies
Maritime Operations
Operations in Extreme Environments
Resilient Space Operations
Canadian companies had a strong showing this year! Of the 150 companies selected to join this year's cohort, 22 are Canadian, or just about 15% out of the entire 32-member alliance! Canadian companies continue to show their value and potential on the international stage. DIANA is a testament to that.
The Canadian companies joining the 2026 DIANA Cohort are:
Advanced Communication Technologies
Qoherent: Intelligent, adaptive, and resilient 5G payload for mobile ad hoc networking
Tightbeam Photonics: Slashing the cost of space to ground laser communication
Autonomy & Unmanned Systems
Hydrogen in Motion: Lightweight, modular hydrogen energy storage system for unmanned systems (UxS)
Contested Electromagnetic Environments
SDQ Solutions Canada: Future-proofing the next generation of global navigation
Critical Infrastructure and Logistics
Copsys Technologies Inc: Disrupting two prominent and persistent marine infrastructure challenges: Corrosion and Biofouling
CSMC: Remote monitoring for Micro Modular Reactors (MMRs)
Incendia Canada Inc.: AI powered environmental detector that communicates wirelessly and coordinates emergency response
Niricson: Making infrastructure safer
Data Assisted Decision Making
Datifex: Software platform for digital twins and industrial metaverses
GlobVision Inc: Space Common Operating Picture (SCOP) for Advanced Data Assisted Decision Making
NorthStar Earth & Space: Multisource space data fusion for operational decision making
Energy and Power
Exonetik: Fuel-flexible turbogenerator delivering resilient, efficient power for mobile and microgrids
Grengine Inc: Cyber-secure, rapid-deploy modular energy systems engineered for austere and off-grid environments
SOLARSTEAM INC: Powering a new era of data sovereignty through liquid cooling without electricity
Human Resilience & Biotechnology
Avivo Biomedical Inc: Whole-Blood Conversion Unit capable of converting A, B and AB-type whole blood into universal blood
Cohesys: A drillless solution for bone fracture fixation that is under investigational testing
Deep Breathe Inc: On-edge, multi-diagnostic AI for real-time detection of traumatic torso injuries with ultrasound
Maritime Operations
Lux Bio: Bioluminescent, biodegradable illumination that provides safe, sustainable light instantly
Operations in Extreme Environments
Alchemy: Nanoparticle-based thermal camouflage
FireSwarm Solutions: Addressing the limitations of extreme environments with DASA-controlled Ultra Heavy-Lift drones
GBatteries Energy Canada Inc: Smart pulse battery charger for cold-weather UxS operations
Volta Space Technologies: Persistent drone flight and emergency power in extremely cold environments
We here at the True North Strategic Review would like to give a congratulations to all of you selected for the 2026 cohort! You have an immense opportunity at your disposal, and I know that you'll grab that brass ring and take it beyond the finish line!
Wow, the Human Resilience & Biotechnology category has a lot of dual-use potential!
Neat to see this.
Noah, noticed the substack stopped having the ability to play them as audio.
Did you turn that feature off as that's one of my favorite ways of consuming your newsletter ?