NATO · NATO (via Comprehensive Assistance Package for Ukraine / NCIA) & Ukraine Ministry of Digital Transformation (via Brave1)
UNITE – Brave NATO is the first joint NATO-Ukraine innovation programme, launched in November 2025, designed to scale prototyped and tested technologies (TRL 6+) that meet Ukraine's interoperability requirements with NATO. It funds joint bids by teams of one Allied company and one Ukrainian company working on defence challenges such as counter-UAS, air defence and secure frontline communications. NATO's share is executed by NCIA using CAP funding (restricted to non-lethal technologies), while Ukrainian companies receive grants through the Brave1 cluster. Selected solutions undergo validation through the Test in Ukraine platform and NATO testing sites.
For NATO-nation defence-tech firms, UNITE – Brave NATO provides direct access to CAP procurement contracts issued by NCIA without a prime contractor intermediary, offering a fast route to fielding at scale. For Ukrainian companies, it unlocks co-development partnerships with Allied technology firms and additional grant funding beyond standard Brave1 channels. The programme's planned expansion to EUR 50m and recurring competition cycles signals a durable, growing pipeline rather than a one-off call.
24 NATO Allies (standalone venture capital fund)
The only sovereign-backed VC dedicated to Alliance defence, security and resilience: patient capital comfortable with defence sales cycles, and a cheque that signals credibility to ministries and co-investors.
NATO / NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), governed by the Conference of National Armaments Directors (CNAD)
AFSC is the largest and most complex capability procurement effort NATO has undertaken, offering sustained long-term contracting opportunities for defence and deep-tech companies across all 32 Allied nations. Companies working in ISR, unmanned systems, space-based surveillance, AI/data fusion, cloud architectures, and C2 systems are directly in scope for national and multinational development contracts tailored to AFSC requirements. Entering the Realization Stage in 2026 signals that procurement contracts for actual capability delivery—not just studies—are now on the near-term horizon.
The fastest single door into NATO for a dual-use startup: non-dilutive cash, military end-users, test infrastructure, and since 2026 a direct contracting path to Allied ministries via the Rapid Adoption Service.