Autonomous airship pioneer backed by the NATO Innovation Fund lands in Canada’s Capital to advance Arctic security, resilience, and operational readiness.

Defence and security organizations worldwide are searching for persistent, reliable ways to monitor vast, unforgiving terrain, and few technologies have been built, from the ground up, for the Arctic. Kelluu has. The Finnish deep-tech company is now bringing that capability to Canada, opening an official office in Ottawa and formally joining the country’s defence and security ecosystem.

Built for the Arctic, Built for the Mission

Kelluu is a Finnish defence technology company developing autonomous, lighter-than-air airships that deliver persistent, high-accuracy aerial intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR).

Founded in 2018 and tested from its earliest days in the demanding weather of Finland’s north, Kelluu’s platform stays airborne for up to twelve hours, captures centimetre-level accuracy that surpasses satellites, operates silently and without emissions, functions reliably to -30°C, and continues performing even when GNSS signals are degraded or denied.

For defence and security applications, this creates a persistent ISR layer that extends the reach of radars, sensors, and cameras across land, air, and maritime domains. The same platform is dual-use by design, also monitoring energy grids, pipelines, wind farms, and the environment for civilian customers.

That momentum has attracted serious backing: a €15 million Series A round supported by Finland’s state-owned investment company and the NATO Innovation Fund, marking the fund’s first-ever investment in a Finnish company.

Company at a Glance

Company	Kelluu
Sector	Defence Technology • Aerial ISR • Autonomous Systems
Founded / HQ	2018, Finland — headquartered in Joensuu, with offices in Helsinki and Tampere
New Location	Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Key Technology	Autonomous, lighter-than-air airships: 12-hour endurance, centimetre-level accuracy, Arctic-proven to -30°C
Notable Backers	NATO Innovation Fund (first Finnish investment) and Finland’s state-owned investment company
IO Program	Global Expansion — Canada’s National Capital Region defence and security ecosystem, with on-the-ground support through Area X.O.

Why Ottawa

As Kelluu looked to establish its presence in North America, Ottawa stood out as the natural landing point. Canada’s Capital is home to the country’s national defence headquarters, its largest concentration of Canadian Armed Forces and defence procurement decision-makers, and a rapidly growing cluster of companies and research institutions working at the leading edge of defence and security innovation, a natural fit for a company whose technology was purpose-built for Arctic conditions and GNSS-denied environments.

“Canada and Area X.O in Ottawa offer an ideal platform for growing a company like Kelluu. There’s a ready-made ecosystem to step into here, and the right people to start building with quickly. Our vision of persistent autonomy in Canada begins right here,” said Janne Hietala, CEO of Kelluu.

“From day one, Invest Ottawa has made us feel welcome. Their expertise, local network, and hands-on support have been invaluable in getting Kelluu’s Canadian operations off the ground,” added Niko Kuikka, Kelluu’s Head of Engineering.

The Invest Ottawa Advantage

Through Invest Ottawa’s Global Expansion program, Kelluu is establishing its Canadian office within a defence and security ecosystem that few cities in the world can match, giving the company direct access to the government, defence, and research partners most relevant to its growth.

On the ground, Area X.O provides Kelluu with the physical space, testing infrastructure, and hands-on ecosystem support to move quickly from validation to operational integration, part of a broader trend of global defence-technology companies scaling into the North American market through Canada’s Capital.

Strengthening the Canada–Finland Defence Partnership

Kelluu’s arrival in Ottawa represents more than one company’s expansion. It marks a deepening partnership between two nations with shared Arctic interests, and positions Kelluu, with its Arctic-proven technology and NATO-backed momentum, to become a long-term contributor to Ottawa’s defence and security ecosystem.

Learn more about Kelluu and its autonomous aerial intelligence platform at Kelluu — Finnish Defence Tech Building Europe’s Aerial Intelligence Layer

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