Today the Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) accelerator program selected 150 companies from 24 NATO countries including 22 from Canada to participate in 10 challenges.
The 150 companies will receive funding and access to DIANA’s 16 accelerator sites, 14 of which are in Europe, one in the U.S. and COVE in Halifax.
Those selected will receive a variety of support including €100,000 (CAD $162K) in funding. Companies “may seek, through competitive processes, additional funds for testing, evaluation, validation & verification activities.”
The 10 challenges have two phases. Phase 1 starts at the beginning of the year and is the accelerator phase. Then a small group are selected to participate in the Phase 2 which “shifts from an accelerator approach to a portfolio-based approach where tailored support is provided to a smaller focused group of innovators.”
For the now completed 2025 cohort, 73 companies were selected for Phase 1 including seven from Canada. Then 15 companies were selected for Phase 2 including one Canadian company, Reaction Dynamics.
Companies are grouped into the following challenges. The number of Canadian companies is listed for each group below:
- Energy and Power (3)
- Advanced Communication Technologies (2)
- Contested Electromagnetic Environments (1)
- Human Resilience and Biotechnologies (3)
- Critical Infrastructure and Logistics (4)
- Operations in Extreme Environments (4)
- Maritime Operations (1)
- Resilient Space Operations (0)
- Autonomy and Unmanned Systems (1)
- Data Assisted Decision Making (3)
The following are the Canadian companies selected:
Advanced Communication Technologies Challenge
- Qoherent – Intelligent, adaptive, and resilient 5G payload for mobile adhoc networking
- Tightbeam Photonics – Slashing the cost of space to ground laser communication
Autonomy and Unmanned Systems Challenge
- Hydrogen in Motion – Lightweight, modular hydrogen energy storage system for unmanned systems (UxS)
Contested Electromagnetic Environments Challenge
- SDQ Solutions Canada – Future-proofing the next generation of global navigation. SDQ was also in the 2025 cohort in the Data and Information Security Challenge.
Critical Infrastructure and Logistics Challenge
- Copsys Technologies Inc. – Disrupting two prominent and persistent marine infrastructure challenges: Corrosion and Biofouling
- CSMC (Canadian Space Mining Corporation) – 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 Challenge
- 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 Challenge
- Exonetik – Fuel-flexible turbogenerator delivering resilient, efficient power for mobile and microgrids
- SOLARSTEAM INC. – Powering a new era of data sovereignty through liquid cooling without electricity
- Grengine Inc. – Cyber-secure, rapid-deploy modular energy systems engineered for austere and off-grid environments
Human Resilience and Biotechnologies Challenge
- 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 Challenge
- Lux Bio – Bioluminescent, biodegradable illumination that provides safe, sustainable light instantly
Operations in Extreme Environments Challenge
- 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
No Canadian companies are part of the Resilient Space Operations Challenge. DIANA headquarters is based in London, UK while the North American office is in Halifax and there is a regional hub Tallinn, Estonia.