NATO Innovation Fund invests in Berlin-based early-stage VC firm Join Capital: Know more

The NATO Innovation Fund (NIF), an independent venture capital firm backed by 23 NATO Allies, on Friday, announced that it has invested in Join Capital, a Berlin-based early-stage venture capital fund focused on deep tech investments across industrial and enterprise tech.

This backing helps expand capacity in regions with high funding demand, such as Southern and Eastern Europe, and grows deep tech startup ecosystems like the Nordics.

The fund aims to assist expertise and interest in a wide range of deep tech solutions, from space tech to quantum cryptography and AI.

The announcement comes a month after NIF made its first deep tech investments from the €1B Fund to improve defence, security, and resilience by transforming manufacturing, improving air travel, advancing AI, and enabling autonomous robotic solutions.

Additionally, the NATO Innovation Fund announced that it will support venture capital fund managers investing in early-stage deep tech with a focus on civilian, defence, security, and resilience markets.

Other venture capital fund managers that will receive support include:

• Alpine Space Ventures is an early-stage fund that invests in the space sector, drawing from over 50 years of industry experience. The fund has a focused portfolio and aims to support select startups in delivering important space-enabled capabilities.
• OTB Ventures is an early growth (Seed and Series A) deep tech fund based in Central Europe, with a focus on investing in spacetech, enterprise automation & AI, cybersecurity, and fintech infrastructure.
• Vsquared Ventures invests in early-stage deep tech companies that are developing groundbreaking technologies to address some of society’s most pressing challenges, with a focus on AI & next-gen software, energy transition, new computing and sensing, new space, robotics and manufacturing, and tech-bio.

NATO Innovation Fund: What you need to know?

Backed by 24 NATO Allies, the NATO Innovation Fund finances innovators across various emerging technology sectors, including energy, quantum computing, artificial intelligence, autonomy, novel materials, space, biotechnology, hypersonic systems, and next-generation communications.

Building on this initial portfolio of investments, the Fund will provide deep tech entrepreneurs with the support they need for up to 15 years, as well as the conviction and agility necessary to commercialise and implement their solutions at scale.

“We are excited to support Join Capital to drive innovation in novel materials, manufacturing automation, AI, quantum computing, space, and robotics,” says Andrea Traversone, Managing Partner of NATO Innovation Fund.

“We look forward to seeing Join driver positive change for advanced technology hubs in regions like Southern Europe, where early-stage startup capital is in high demand,” adds Traversone.