Romanian-Born Entrepreneur’s Grayscale AI Joins NATO Accelerator for AI Innovation

A Romanian-born entrepreneur has founded a startup in the United Kingdom that develops artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and has recently been admitted to a business accelerator supported by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The startup, Grayscale AI, launched by Dragos Stanciu in 2020 in London, was accepted into the NATO Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) program.

The company focuses on developing advanced machine learning (ML) algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions. With offices in the United States and the United Kingdom, Grayscale AI emphasizes shaping the future of autonomous drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The startup’s innovations enable robots to perceive and understand their environment.

Grayscale AI joins a select group of innovative startups dedicated to developing deep tech solutions for NATO, with a total of 7 firms from the UK admitted to the NATO accelerator. The company’s solutions have already been tested in real-world scenarios by industry leaders such as HORIBA MIRA, AVL, and Smart Mobility Living Lab London. Additionally, the U.S. Departments of Energy and Defense, the UK Ministry of Defense, and aerospace industry partners have expressed interest in Grayscale AI’s technologies.

In its three years of existence, Grayscale AI has secured investments through the global business accelerator Techstars. Dragoș Stanciu’s startup also received $50,000 in support from the U.S. Army through the xTech program. The company further obtained a £100,000 grant (approximately $126,000) from the British authorities.

The founder and CEO of the startup, Dragoș Stanciu, brings a background in neuroscience, utilizing derived mathematical models to stimulate innovation in the field of robotics. ‘We are excited to implement our new neuromorphic processing technology within the NATO innovation network. The global demand for investments in deep tech is evident, and it is commendable to see NATO taking a leadership role in driving this initiative,’ stated Dragos Stanciu in a statement transmitted to StartupCafe.ro.

Dragos Stanciu graduated in Computer Science from the University of Essex and completed a master’s degree in neuroscience at the University of Edinburgh. He also initiated a Ph.D. in robotics in Switzerland at ETH Zürich but did not complete it, according to his LinkedIn profile.