Firms

NATO Innovation Fund

NATO Innovation Fund

Amsterdam, Netherlands · London, United Kingdom · Warsaw, Poland

nif.fund

Independent, multi-sovereign venture capital fund backed by 24 NATO member countries, investing in dual-use deep technology for defence, security and resilience. Launched in 2022, its flagship fund closed on €1 billion in July 2023; current capital exceeds €1 billion after additional sovereign participation. NIF invests directly in startups and through other venture funds, typically entering from seed to Series B with initial investments of up to €15 million and reserves for follow-on financing. Focus areas include AI, autonomy, quantum technologies, biotechnology, advanced materials and manufacturing, space, energy and next-generation communications. Its investment management headquarters are in Amsterdam, with regional offices in London and Warsaw and the fund domiciled in Luxembourg. NIF is commercially independent: capital comes from sovereign limited partners, and NATO itself does not financially invest or make investment decisions. It is separate from the DIANA accelerator. The current official directory lists four investment partners, a president, adoption and operations staff, and eight board members or observers.

Founded
2022
Type
Venture capital

Funds1

  • NATO Innovation Fund SCSp SICAV-SIF€1B

Team

Ana Bernardo-Gancedo
$20M$340K – $40MCambridge, United Kingdom
Sharn Gill
—— – —

Operations and support

Alex KugajevskyAlex KugajevskyAdoption Principal
Amalia KontesiAmalia KontesiChief Communications and Marketing Officer
Ari Kristinn JónssonAri Kristinn JónssonPresident
David OrdonezDavid OrdonezSenior Associate
Ebru DormanEbru DormanDirector
Erin HallockErin HallockPartner
Fiona MurrayFiona MurrayChair of the Board
Helen DraijerHelen DraijerChief Financial Officer
Joel NoutereJoel NoutereAdoption Associate
John RidgeJohn RidgeChief Adoption Officer
Karl-Christian AgerupKarl-Christian AgerupVice Chair of the Board
Kate O’BrienKate O’BrienBoard and Senior Leadership Liaison
Kusti SalmKusti SalmDirector
Lauren ReadeLauren ReadePlatform Lead – Adoption
Lennart VeltenLennart VeltenAssociate
Mariana Occidente LupoMariana Occidente LupoExecutive Assistant
Marrit LeenstraMarrit LeenstraExecutive Assistant and Amsterdam Office Manager
Mary De AlbergariaMary De AlbergariaPlatforms and Events Associate
Patrick Schneider-SikorskyPatrick Schneider-SikorskyPartner
Prince Constantijn of the NetherlandsPrince Constantijn of the NetherlandsDirector
Raj ShahRaj ShahDirector
Roberto CingolaniRoberto CingolaniDirector
Sander VerbruggeSander VerbruggePartner
Susan WilsonSusan WilsonChief Human Resources Officer
Suzana IelceanSuzana IelceanExecutive Assistant and London Office Manager
Tarja JaakkolaTarja JaakkolaBoard observer
Trisha SaxenaTrisha SaxenaSenior Associate
Ulrich QuayUlrich QuayPartner
Veronika BartakovaVeronika BartakovaManager – Limited Partners & Government

Co-investing

8VC
British Business Bank
Cocoa
Kelly Chen
Kindred Capital

Investments

$175M2026-07-09Kraken Technology GroupDigital Transformation Capital Partners, Notion Capital, BOKA Group, British Business Bank, NATO Innovation Fund, Supernova Invest, National Security Strategic Investment Fund, Speedinvest, HICO Investment Group, Thesiger Capital Group
$—2025-06-27Kraken Technology GroupNATO Innovation Fund
$15M2026-05-27RevEng.AINATO Innovation Fund, Sands Capital, IQT, IQ Capital, Episode 1
$220M2026-05-15FractileFounders Fund, Accel, Factorial Funds, 8VC, Buckley Ventures, Gigascale Capital, Felicis, Conviction, 01 Advisors, Oxford Science Enterprises, Kindred Capital, NATO Innovation Fund, Cocoa
€30M2026-02-24TYTAN TechnologiesArmira Growth, NATO Innovation Fund, Lakestar, OTB Ventures, Magnetic Capital, Visionaries Club, 10x Group, D3
£30M2026-02-22SatVuSeraphim Space, Molten Ventures, Lockheed Martin Ventures, Ridgeline Partners, noa, British Business Bank, NATO Innovation Fund
$15M2024-07-26FractileKindred Capital, NATO Innovation Fund, Oxford Science Enterprises, Inovia Capital, Hermann Hauser, Cocoa, Stan Boland, Amar Shah
$—2024-06-20Isar AerospaceAndrea Traversone, Hendrik Brandis, NATO Innovation Fund
€9M2024-06-10ARX RoboticsNATO Innovation Fund, Uwe Horstmann, Discovery Ventures
$23M2024-06-05Icomat8VC, Alex Moore, Kelly Chen, NATO Innovation Fund