Dual-use, real impact: What happened at DIANA Estonia’s latest onsite 

The fourth onsite of the NATO DIANA Estonian Accelerator wrapped up last week, bringing together startups from across the alliance as this time, we didn’t go at it alone. The April session was a collaboration between the NATO DIANA Danish and Estonian accelerators, offering a stronger collaborative effort and real-world engagement between the two.  

This edition was brought together our lucky seven – ResQuant, Telearmy, Wayren, IS-Wireless, Scaleout, Factiverse and Microamp – as well as six companies from the DIANA accelerator site in Denmark, hosted at the BioInnovation Institute in Copenhagen: 52North (creators of Neutrocheck®), Cogitat, Sensible Biotechnologies, Alea Quantum Technologies, CUbIQ Technologies and Quantropi Inc. While associated with their respective accelerator sites, the participating companies represent a diverse range of countries and specialisations. 

The week kicked off at the e-Estonia Briefing Centre in Tallinn with a no-nonsense panel on what not to do as a dual-use startup. Glen Kelp from GaltTec and Silver Lodi from Spaceit shared honest reflections from their journeys, sparking a lively and practical discussion that set the tone for the days ahead. 

After morning matchmaking and networking, the group travelled to Tartu to meet with the Centre of War and Disaster Medicine at the Estonian Military Academy – a key stakeholder in testing and scaling defence-relevant technologies. This mix of Tallinn’s tech-forward mindset and Tartu’s defence expertise reflects the balanced approach of the Estonian accelerator, which is delivered by Tehnopol Startup Incubator in partnership with Sparkup Tartu Science Park. 

Days two and three focused on skill-building. Teams took part in intensive workshops covering: 

• Pitch structure and deck with Nicholas Hawtin 
• Public speaking basics with Lisbeth Holdt Jørgensen 
• Crisis communication with Rainer Saks 
• Defence branding and marketing with Raimond Kaljulaid 
• Go-to-market strategy for defence with Katrin Kiviselg 
• Storytelling with Gleb Maltsev 

These sessions weren’t just about theory, they were about preparing for moments that matter, like pitching to NATO end-users or adapting commercial tech to serve military and security contexts. 

One of the key highlights of the week was a visit to Tapa Army Base, where startups presented their solutions to representatives from the Estonian Defence Forces and NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence (eFP). Following an operational briefing, the companies delivered concise three-minute pitches demonstrating how their technologies could support both national and allied defence efforts. 

Adding to the international reach of the programme, we were pleased to welcome Loren Bailey, project lead at COVE, which hosts the Canadian DIANA accelerator focused on marine technology. Loren joined the onsite to foster stronger collaboration across the growing DIANA network. 

This kind of cross-site exchange between teams affiliated with Estonia, Denmark and Canada – underscores the global nature of both innovation and security challenges. It also demonstrates our commitment to building a truly international ecosystem of problem-solvers, capable of responding to NATO’s most pressing capability needs. 

As the teams returned to Tallinn to conclude the programme, one thing stood out: collaboration fuels progress. Whether refining a pitch, engaging with end-users, or navigating the complexities of dual-use markets, the momentum built during this onsite will continue to drive innovation forward. 

Next up? The May onsite in Tallinn, including booths and pitches on the Latitude59 stage.