We are thrilled to share that SPHERICAL has been selected to join the 2025 cohort of the NATO DIANA accelerator! This exciting milestone follows a highly competitive process, with more than 2600 innovative ventures vying for a spot in this distinguished programme. Being chosen among only 74 successful candidates is an incredible honour for our team and a testament to the promise of our technology.

Our successful application focused on the Energy and Power Challenge, where SPHERICAL’s software-defined power systems for satellites demonstrated significant potential in both commercial and defense scenarios. Securing a place in the dual-use category underscores our commitment to creating robust, reliable, and versatile power solutions that can address critical needs across various sectors.

As part of the programme, SPHERICAL receives €100 000 to continue iterating our technology solution, along with training and insights from experts in technology, commercial development and defence, and opportunities to test our technology in a variety of specialised environments. SPHERICAL is paired with the WSL accelerator for on-the-ground training, development and support.

DIANA was established by NATO in 2023 to tackle complex societal challenges through disruptive dual-use technologies. Working throughout the startup and entrepreneurial ecosystems of the 32 NATO Allies, DIANA aims to find and bring together innovative companies developing technologies that could solve key needs for the Alliance. Through public ‘Challenge’ calls each reflecting Allied priorities in defence, security and resilience, innovators propose technological solutions with the potential to address the challenges and transform society.

“We are proud to welcome the newest cohort of innovators into DIANA,” said Professor Deeph Chana, Managing Director of DIANA. “Over the coming months, these creative, highly skilled companies will accelerate the development of their dual-use technologies, as they work to solve a suite of complex, interconnected defence, security and resilience challenges.”

“The 2025 innovators form a truly impressive cohort combining deep technological expertise and creative problem-solving,” said Chief Scientist Tien Pham. “We look forward to supporting the technical development of these innovators, while connecting them to DIANA’s network of mentors, test centres and end users as they grow their companies and apply their ideas to Allied needs.”

About DIANA:

DIANA is the Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic, a NATO organisation with a mission to locate and accelerate dual-use innovation across the Alliance. DIANA provides technology developers with the resources, networks and expertise to address critical defence and security challenges, to create a more peaceful and resilient future. Learn more at www.diana.nato.int.

Key facts:

• DIANA began operations in May 2023, and announced its first cohort of innovative companies in November 2023.

• The companies (‘innovators’) are drawn from more than 2600 submissions received in the Challenges call, held between July 1 and August 9, 2024.

• Phase I of the 2025 accelerator programme will launch in January 2025.

• Each company will join one of 13 accelerators across the NATO Alliance, where they will benefit from hands-on experience, training and networking.

• Innovators from all of NATO’s 32 nations are eligible to participate in DIANA. Joining DIANA provides access to the network of accelerators and test centres across the Alliance, as well as gaining opportunities for investments, increased exposure to defence markets, and commercial advice.

• The competitive selection process comprises eight weeks of evaluations at multiple steps by a network of experts drawn from academia, industry and the public sector from across the 32 NATO Allied nations.

• In DIANA’s first year, 44 companies joined DIANA's inaugural accelerator programme, which launched in January 2024.

• DIANA’s headquarters is located in London (UK), with a regional hub in Tallinn (Estonia) and a North American headquarters in Halifax (Canada).