Alias Robotics selected for NATO DIANA Challenge Programme 2026: Advancing Autonomous Cybersecurity for Defence Systems
· by Alias Robotics
Alias Robotics has been selected to join the NATO DIANA 2026 Challenge Programme Cohort under the Autonomy & Unmanned Systems challenge, advancing cybersecurity for autonomous and cyber-physical systems across the Alliance.
Alias Robotics is proud to announce that we have been selected as one of the companies joining the NATO DIANA 2026 Challenge Programme Cohort, following today’s official announcement by the Alliance.
DIANA has selected 150 pioneering companies from 24 NATO countries, chosen from a record 3,680 submissions. These innovators will work across ten defence and security challenge areas. Alias Robotics has been selected under the Autonomy & Unmanned Systems challenge, reflecting the increasing strategic importance of securing autonomous and robotic platforms across defence operations.
Advancing cybersecurity for autonomous and cyber-physical systems
Alias Robotics joins the cohort with advanced cybersecurity technologies for cyber-physical systems (CPS) and AI-enabled defence environments. Our work builds on years of research in robotics-aware security, secure autonomy and European cybersecurity LLMs (aliasX) designed to support both offensive and defensive security operations across IT, OT and CPS infrastructures.
Our selection builds on a proven track record in autonomous cybersecurity. Earlier this year, our CAI (Cybersecurity AI) framework achieved first place rankings in multiple international cybersecurity competitions, including winning the Neurogrid AI Security Showdown. These achievements validate our approach to autonomous security operations for complex, mission-critical environments—precisely the capability NATO needs for securing next-generation autonomous systems.
These capabilities directly address one of NATO's emerging operational priorities: the need to secure autonomous and unmanned systems against sophisticated cyber threats.
Working with DIANA’s network over the next six months
Starting in January 2026, Alias Robotics will collaborate closely with ODTÜ TEKNOKENT, engaging with DIANA’s network of operational end-users, mentors, and more than 200 specialised test centres across 32 NATO nations.
The DIANA Accelerator Programme represents a unique opportunity to bridge the gap between cutting-edge cybersecurity research and operational military requirements. Through this collaboration, we will:
Deepen our technological readiness in mission-relevant environments
Validate our cybersecurity technologies for autonomous systems
Strengthen our dual-use market understanding
Engage early with military end-users to refine operational suitability
Explore adoption pathways through DIANA’s Rapid Adoption Service
Looking ahead: From validation to adoption
Beyond technical validation, DIANA's Rapid Adoption Service provides a structured pathway for NATO member states to trial and adopt innovative technologies. For Alias Robotics, this means our autonomous cybersecurity capabilities could reach operational deployment across Alliance nations, contributing directly to the collective defence and resilience of NATO's technological infrastructure.
The convergence of AI-enabled autonomy and sophisticated cyber threats demands equally advanced defensive capabilities. Through DIANA, we're positioned to help NATO maintain its technological edge in this critical domain.
“Being selected for the DIANA 2026 Challenge Programme is an important milestone in our mission to secure autonomous and cyber-physical systems. We look forward to collaborating with DIANA's accelerator site, technical mentors and operational users to advance mission-ready cybersecurity solutions for the Alliance.” — Endika Gil-Uriarte, CEO, Alias Robotics
About the 2026 DIANA Cohort
The 150 selected companies will work across ten challenge areas aligned with priorities identified by NATO, including energy and power, advanced communications, contested electromagnetic environments, human resilience, resilient space operations and data-assisted decision making.
