NATO Innovation Fund
The NATO Innovation Fund (NIF) is a EUR 1 billion venture capital fund backed by 24 NATO allied nations, established to invest in deep tech startups that strengthen defence, security, and resilience across the alliance. It targets early-stage companies working on breakthrough science and engineering, leading rounds of up to EUR 15 million with significant follow-on reserves. Notable portfolio companies include ARX Robotics (autonomous defence robotics), Fractile (AI computing hardware), and Space Forge (in-space semiconductor manufacturing).
Focus Areas
Portfolio
2 companies in our directory
Kraken Technology
Kraken Technology Group is a UK-based designer and manufacturer of high-performance uncrewed surface vessels for defence and commercial maritime operations. Founded by Mal Crease, a 25-year veteran of the maritime industry with a background in high-performance offshore racing and Formula One engineering, the company develops modular, open-architecture autonomous vessels using composite materials. Key products include the K3 SCOUT reconnaissance USV, K4 MANTA subsurface delivery platform, and K5 KRAKEN precision engagement platform. Kraken secured a £12.3M Royal Navy order for 20 uncrewed surface vessels under Project Beehive and has partnered with NVL, one of the world's premier shipbuilders, to scale manufacturing globally. The company is backed by the NATO Innovation Fund and UK National Security Strategic Investment Fund.
Fractile
HiringFractile is a London-based AI chip startup developing in-memory computing processors designed to run large language model inference up to 100x faster and 10x cheaper than current GPU systems. Founded by Oxford Robotics Institute PhD graduate Walter Goodwin, the company's novel chip architecture fuses computation with memory to eliminate the data-shuttling bottleneck that limits conventional hardware. Fractile emerged from stealth in July 2024 and has since announced a £100M commitment to expand UK operations, including a new hardware engineering facility in Bristol. The team includes senior hires from NVIDIA, ARM, and Imagination Technologies.