Since reporting on the expansion of Define (Defence Innovation Network Finland) earlier this year there has been a smorgasbord of news funnelling out from the defence network, so Resilience Media took a trip to Riihimäki, the home of Define, to check out what all the fuss was about.
It also coincided with Finland being announced the happiest country in the world, for the ninth time, by the World Happiness Report. Turns out, for the people in the city 70km north of the capital, there is plenty to be happy about.
Last week, Define held a kick-off day for its latest cohort of accelerator participants. For the public, it gave us a chance to listen to pitches from the 12 startups across AI, autonomous systems, and data that made it through to Define’s fourth batch, out of the 100+ companies that originally applied.
A twelve-week programme awaits the fresh faces of the new batch, representing five different countries. Among the cohort are Kolibri Defence, a Finnish FPV drone company founded by drone operators from the media industry; Metaktik, another Finnish startup that is developing ultralight antennas for satellites; Swedish company I-CONIC Vision, building software for UAV navigation and situational awareness in real-time; and Avrax Systems, from Germany, developing super-light, short range missiles weighing less than 1kg.
During the afternoon programme we were also treated to express pitches from the NATO DIANA comms and connectivity startups in the Finnish accelerator programme.
Define is situated in an old train yard, and for anyone who was brought up with Thomas the Tank Engine, you can picture how the engines would have rested up in the very buildings where all the innovation is happening now, only with much smaller engines at play.
Riihimäki Defence Startup Fund
Define and the city of Riihimäki are collectively focused on boosting defence tech through a series of initiatives. The newly announced Riihimäki Defence Startup Fund is intended to support market readiness help startups improve their offering within the local ecosystem.
Riihimäen Tilat ja Kehitys Oy and the Define innovation network are offering a €20,000 convertible loan for startups under five years old that focus on defence, security, and dual-use technologies. Those applying need to meet certain requirements: they have to have at least €20,000 in self‑financing or private investment; they must establish a main office in the city; and at least one of the founders must come from a NATO member country or Ukraine. Applications for the first round of funding close 31 March 2026.
NATO connections
NATO runs strongly through the city’s initiatives. The guys at Define have been busy helping down‑select international companies for NATO Allied Land Command’s (LANDCOM). Those who qualify must be focused on uncrewed ground systems operating in contested environments and they will get the opportunity to display their wares during the Crystal Arrow 2026 exercise in Riga in May.
The biggest news on the NATO/Riihimäki front is that NATO has announced it will establish as Deployable CIS Module (DMC) in the city.
What does that mean for Riihimäki? Well, the Deployable CIS Module (DCM) will provide communication and information system (CIS) services in support of NATO forces and commands in Finland and, if necessary, across the Alliance. Projected to be in action by 2027, it will see around 60 employees posted in the city, all positions filled by Finnish personnel.
It is part of the NATO Command Structure so is eligible for NATO’s common funding. The DCMs will operate under the NATO Communications and Information Systems Group (NCISG).
With all the good news putting the city of Riihimäki firmly on the defence innovation map, Technology and Innovation for Define and the City of Riihimäki, Teemu Seppälä described all the goings on as a ‘lottery win’ for the city. I couldn’t agree more, it’s all happening in Riihimäki!
