NestAI, a Finnish firm specializing in command-and-control (C2) and intelligent unmanned systems, is on a roll towards pushing artificial intelligence (AI) into defense tech.
The company has raised 100 million euros ($115 million) from Nokia and Finnish sovereign wealth fund Tesi to integrate AI into unmanned vehicles, autonomous operations, and C2 platforms.
The funding will also support the creation of “Europe’s leading physical AI lab,” a research initiative that applies AI, including large language models, to robotics and real-world systems, Tech Crunch reported.
Strategic Partnership
NestAI has teamed with Nokia to combine its AI platforms with the latter’s expertise in secure, AI-native connectivity, sensing, and multimedia.
The goal, according to NestAI’s Board Chairman Peter Sarlin, is to help secure Europe’s technological edge and harden its industrial base.
“Strategic partnerships are imperative to strengthen Europe’s security and resilience. In line with PostScriptum’s mission, NestAI was founded to deliver mission-critical physical AI capabilities at scale and to safeguard Europe’s sovereignty,” he stated.
These developments come just a month after the Helsinki-based startup partnered with the Finnish Defence Forces to make headway on data-centric warfare.
Nokia in Defense
Nokia has launched a defense incubation unit for partners across Finland, other NATO countries, and the Five Eyes intelligence sharing group comprising the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
This year, the tech giant partnered with Lockheed Martin and US telecommunications firm Verizon to integrate commercial 5G into a military-grade base station.
Within Europe, Nokia has expanded its 5G-based tactical networks through collaborations with blackned GmbH, Motorola, and Latvia’s LMT, supporting mobile, rapid-deploy, and high-capacity battlefield networks.
