March 5, 2026
NATO Innovation Fund appoints Dr. Ari Kristinn Jónsson as President to oversee the Fund’s operations
- Ari to drive operational excellence in meeting the Fund’s commercial, adoption and capacity building goals.
- Former NASA researcher and University President brings experience in technological innovation, defence applications, leadership of complex stakeholder universes, and knowledge of the Fund.
- President will take on leadership for the outward-facing activities that connect the core investment work of the Fund to capacity building and adoption
The Board of the NATO Innovation Fund (NIF) today announced the appointment of Dr. Ari Kristinn Jónsson as President, further strengthening the Fund’s leadership to ensure it continues to deliver on its commercial, adoption, and capacity-building goals. Ari will take office on April 1, 2026.
Ari joins the NIF from Icelandic tech company Videntifier, where he has been serving as CEO. He previously served as President of one of Iceland’s largest universities. Before that, he was a senior research scientist and manager at NASA for 10 years. He graduated with a PhD from Stanford University in 1997, with a focus on artificial intelligence.
Ari’s diverse experience in the US and Europe, his strong technological background, leadership skills, and tech sector expertise make him the ideal candidate for this new role. Over the past 15 years, Ari has worked on various projects related to innovation and entrepreneurship. He has served as a Board member of the NATO Innovation Fund as well as high-tech startup companies, and played critical roles in strategy and policy development for the Icelandic government.
As Chair of the Board, I am pleased to announce that Ari Kristinn Jónsson will be appointed President of the NATO Innovation Fund. In this new role, Ari will oversee NIF’s operations to ensure the Fund can successfully deliver on its strategic goals and mission. He has deep knowledge of the Fund – the strengths of the team, the Fund’s ambitious and complex goals, and its vision for the future. Over the past years, the NIF has built a strong team, with complimentary areas of expertise and a diverse range of backgrounds – from deep tech to defence investing, and from the military and civil service to responsible use. Together we will pursue our ambitious goal of ensuring that NATO nations can innovate at pace and scale to protect their 1 billion citizens.
In just two years, the NATO Innovation Fund has helped revitalise Europe’s Defence, Security and Resilience ecosystem. Now, the NIF is entering a new growth phase, with a steadily expanding number of outstanding portfolio companies, and the responsibility to ensure that NATO nations are adopting the technologies that these companies are building at scale. This is an important mission which requires a clear strategy, an efficient organisation, and a laser-focused team. I am honoured to take on this role to help the NIF maximise its impact on the DSR market and the Alliance as a whole.
As the NIF focuses on delivering technological innovation and adoption at scale, Ari will transition from his role on the NIF Board of Directors to oversee the Fund’s day-to-day operations. Ari will also serve as an advocate for the NIF and its portfolio companies across the 24 nations backing the Fund. Based in Amsterdam, he will work closely with the Board and the entire NIF team to ensure the Fund successfully delivers on its strategic mission.
“We warmly welcome the appointment of Dr. Ari Kristinn Jónsson as President of the NATO Innovation Fund. Ari brings a rare combination of deep technical expertise — spanning artificial intelligence research to defence innovation — together with proven leadership across academia, government and industry. His breadth of experience uniquely positions him to work alongside Allied nations in forging the pathways needed to accelerate the development and adoption of critical defence technologies in an era of heightened security imperatives.” – Johan Boe Bjørkevoll, Investment Director at Investor and Norway’s NIF Limited Partner Representative
“Dr. Ari Jónsson is deeply committed to the NIF’s success and strategic impact. With a distinguished international professional background in the deep tech sector and a strong knowledge of Europe’s diverse innovation landscape, he is uniquely positioned to lead the Fund as it continues to strengthen its activities across its investing countries.” – Navy Capt. Raffaele Rotella, Officer at Italian Military Representation to NATO Military Committees and Italy’s NIF Limited Partner Representative
“With a strong, proven track record as a NASA researcher, university president and technology CEO, Ari is exceptionally well equipped to lead the Fund as it continues to accelerate cutting-edge technologies that enhance the defence, security and resilience of NATO nations.” – Tapio Passinen, Investment Director at Tesi and Finland’s NIF Limited Partner Representative
The appointment comes at a time of record growth for the sector. In 2025, a record $8.7bn was invested in European Deep Tech DSR startups – a 55% year-on-year increase. By strengthening its leadership structure with a President who possesses an intimate understanding of the Fund’s capabilities, mission and vision, the NIF is positioned to continue delivering market-leading results, from running successful adoption campaigns, to attracting co-investment from funds across the 24 nations backing it, and deploying breakthrough technologies where they are needed most.
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