Danish autonomy software company Robotto has been awarded a capability development contract through NATO DIANA's Rapid Adoption Service. It is the first time NATO Headquarters has used the service.
— Operational resilience starts with designing the conditions operators actually face. Experimentation alongside operators at DRONE SHIELD is how we generate the evidence that matters for adoption, says Kenneth Geipel, co-founder of Robotto.
The contract lets Robotto validate its software for unmanned aerial systems with operators at the DRONE SHIELD 2026 operational experimentation in Czechia. According to Robotto, this will generate evidence Allies can use to assess the technology for procurement. The contract value was not disclosed.
It is one of seven contracts awarded to DIANA innovators from six Allied nations by NATO's Defence Industry, Innovation and Armaments Division (D2IA), NATO DIANA said. The other recipients are Milliray, Dronetag, Arcani, Aerix Systems, NeuralAgent and Mara.
— Innovation only creates value when it reaches the people and organisations who need it. By enabling NATO to access emerging technologies, test them in an operational environment, and generate the evidence needed for adoption, we are helping ensure the Alliance can identify and field the right capabilities faster in response to evolving security challenges, says Jyoti Hirani Driver, Acting Managing Director of NATO DIANA
The programme is funded through NATO's Defence Against Terrorism Programme of Work. It stems from the counter-drone package launched by the NATO Secretary General in October 2025. It also feeds into Drone Edge, under which Allies plan to invest over USD 40 billion in counter-UAS capabilities over five years.