NATO Invests Robotic Technology In New Innovation Funds

JAKARTA - NATO's ally consortium has confirmed the first batch of companies funding as part of the group's one billion euro (IDR 17.5 trillion) innovation fund.

The alliance launched the fund in the summer of 2022, months after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with promises to invest in technology that will increase their defenses. The fund is backed by 24 of the 32 NATO member states, including Finland and Sweden, which joined the alliance earlier this year.

On Tuesday, June 18, NATO Innovation Fund (NIF) confirmed that it has directly invested in four European technology companies, which they say will help address challenges in defense, security, and resilience.

The agency has allocated funding for Fractile, a London-based computer chip maker that aims to create large language models (LLM) such as those supporting ChatGPT running faster, as well as German ARX Robotics, which designed unmanned robots with various functions ranging from weight lifting to surveillance.

The other two startups are British manufacturer iCOMAT, which makes lighter materials for vehicles, and Space Forge, a Walesese company that takes advantage of space conditions such as microgravity and vacuum conditions to build semiconductors in orbit.

"Accessing strategic technology is the key to ensuring a safe and prosperous future for one billion alliance residents," said Andreaployone, the fund management partner.

The fund has also partnered with venture capital firms Alpine Space Ventures, OTB Ventures, Join Capital, and Vsquared Ventures to support further investment in deep technology on the European continent.