NATO Innovation Fund opens permanent office in Warsaw

The NATO Innovation Fund (NIF), a €1 billion venture capital fund supported by 24 Alliance members, has opened a permanent office in Warsaw, Poland. The move aims to establish Poland as a technological hub for the Central and Eastern European region.

Led in the region by Jan Duthel, the CEE Adoption Lead, the Warsaw office will focus on three primary pillars: identifying promising deep tech startups in the region, helping portfolio companies scale from pilot stages to full orders, and bringing advanced security and defense technologies into Poland. The fund also seeks to build partnerships with major defense industries and government entities.

NIF prioritizes dual-use technologies that serve both civilian and military purposes, including unmanned systems such as drones, land vehicles, and maritime platforms. The fund has already allocated capital to two Polish funds, providing exposure to local companies like Ingenix.ai. NIF leadership noted that Poland's high defense spending and growing startup ecosystem make it a strategic location on NATO's eastern flank.