Drone City LLC — a Griffiss Institute’s HUSTLE Defense Accelerator alumni company from 2023 and 2024 — has been selected for the NATO DIANA Challenge Programme, one of the most competitive deep-tech and defense innovation programs worldwide.
“Recognition by NATO is a significant milestone,” said Drone City Founder Mehdi Salehi. “As we expand our research & development and manufacturing footprint in the Mohawk Valley, the NATO program enables Drone City to step onto the world stage as a supplier of leading-edge advanced technologies—all exclusively designed, prototyped, and manufactured right here in Rome, NY.”
After a rigorous selection process reviewing over 3,600 submissions, Drone City was chosen for its technical excellence and global impact potential. The program will help them move from prototypes to NATO-validated, deployable systems for commercial and defense applications.
As part of NATO DIANA, Drone City will gain:
• World-class mentorship, operational insight, and real-world validation
• Access to 16 accelerator sites and 200+ test centers
• Partnership opportunities with 32 NATO nations
• Accelerated testing and deployment pathways
Stay tuned throughout 2026 as we share updates from this amazing journey!
