Ten startups begin developing their ideas in the defence technology pre-accelerator

On Friday, April 4, the companies selected for the first round of the defence technology pre-accelerator were announced in Tapa. The pre-accelerator is aimed at deep-tech startups operating in the defence sector. The programme is jointly implemented by the Tehnopol Startup Incubator and the Sparkup Tartu Science Park.

The pre-accelerator supports startups whose ideas have been validated and who have an initial prototype, helping them further develop their solutions and test them in real-life environments. Participants benefit from training, mentoring, and networking opportunities, and are also prepared for future rounds of the NATO DIANA accelerator and the European Defence Fund.

The programme is jointly run by the Tehnopol Startup Incubator and the Sparkup Tartu Science Park – five companies are developing their solutions in Tallinn, and five in Tartu.

“Working with the NATO DIANA accelerator teams, we see that Estonian defence sector companies are innovative, and encouraging growth in this field is extremely important. Our goal is to support the potential of these companies and help them prepare for their next key steps. Technological solutions are in high demand in the defence sector, as rapid advancements in technology offer new opportunities to improve both responsiveness and preventive measures,” said Anne-Liisa Elbrecht, Head of the Tehnopol Startup Incubator.

“It is great to see so many smart teams in Estonia who want to contribute to national security – from demining robots to digital mapping solutions. Within the programme, we aim to explore how these solutions can best be integrated into the defence sector,” said Pirko Konsa, Member of the Management Board at Sparkup Tartu Science Park.

The following startups were selected for the pre-accelerator:

• Thistle OÜ develops and manufactures mobile anti-drone systems.
• Metamobilise offers a solution that significantly accelerates the development of shooting skills with small arms and makes training more engaging, realistic, and insightful.
• UnMarSys is developing unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) for maritime surveillance, monitoring, and defence.
• Asvel is working on a self-driving robot capable of automatically controlling an endoscopic camera during minimally invasive surgeries.
• Ratel Robotics is developing a modular unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) designed for defence and security challenges, focusing on autonomy, resilience, and rapid task-specific adaptability.
• Max Joule is creating next-generation battery systems based on advanced battery chemistry for specialised applications.
• Taara Robotics specialises in autonomous collaborative robots and environmental mapping.
• Falconers is developing next-generation remote sensing AI and hardware for Earth digitisation.
• Milmech Systems is creating a fast, cost-effective, remotely operated demining device to help save lives in conflict zones.
• C2Grid provides AI-based instant 3D situational awareness solutions generated from video footage.

The pre-accelerator programme offers participants a €5,000 grant, an in-depth training programme led by experienced experts, and the opportunity to collaborate with an extensive mentor network. The programme culminates in a demo day, where the progress and international scaling potential of the projects will be evaluated.

The pre-accelerator is implemented by the Tehnopol Startup Incubator and the Sparkup Tartu Science Park. The programme is funded by the Ministry of Defence and supported by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications.