Kinnami Software Corporation is one of the companies selected for NATO DIANA's Phase 2 in 2025. Their solution, AmiShare, enables secure collaboration that protects sensitive data, accelerates decision-making, and ensures information superiority for defence and dual-use applications alike.
In this blog post, Sujeesh Krishnan, CEO at Kinnami, shares more about the team's objectives and successes so far.
What does Kinnami do and what is the solution you applied to DIANA with?
"Our mission is to provide resilient data infrastructure that empowers the intelligent tactical edge. We focus on securing critical data generated by devices such as drones, satellites, autonomous vehicles, and mobile command platforms like ATAK. Our goal is simple but vital: to ensure the right data reaches the right person, at the right time, even in highly contested or degraded environments.
The solution we applied to DIANA with is AmiShareTM, a software-defined data mesh. AmiShare securely connects devices at the edge, even when networks are unstable or denied. It automates the protection and movement of information across diverse platforms, from drones and robots to satellites and handheld devices, so that mission-critical data remains resilient, trusted, and available whenever and wherever it is needed.
By combining security, resilience, and adaptability in one lightweight solution, we help defence and allied forces operate with confidence in challenging conditions. AmiShare is designed to ensure continuity of operations by safeguarding the flow of information across domains, directly supporting NATO’s mission to strengthen collective defence through technological innovation."
What problem does your solution solve?
"Modern missions rely on data from sensors, drones, satellites, and other edge devices. But these systems face severe constraints, limited storage, compute power, and fragile connectivity. At the same time, mission success depends on having timely, trusted information. Existing data security and management tools were built for centralised data centers, not for the realities of the tactical edge. They break down in environments with unstable networks, diverse devices, and austere conditions.
What’s needed are solutions designed specifically for the edge, ones that can operate across different devices, operating systems, and networks, while intelligently making the most of scarce resources. That’s exactly what we’ve built with AmiShare.
AmiShare is a lightweight, peer-to-peer data mesh that transforms every device into part of a collaborative network. It automatically protects and synchronises critical data, ensuring it moves securely and reliably even under disruption. AmiShare transforms every device into a collaborative node, dynamically optimising resources across devices, domains, and partners. By eliminating dependence on centralised platforms, AmiShare ensures mission-critical information is resilient, trusted, and available when and where it is needed most.
For military and allied operations, this is more than a technology shift, it’s a step change in how data can be trusted and delivered at the edge."
How did Kinnami get started?
"Kinnami was founded in 2015 by a team of data protection and security experts from companies such as Symantec, Veritas, and Microsoft. After years of research into data resilience, they saw a growing and urgent challenge: the rising number of attacks on critical infrastructure and the lack of solutions designed to secure and share data in distributed environments. They believed something better was needed, technology built from the ground up for resilience at the edge.
That early research eliminated key technical risks before the company launched. In 2018, I joined as CEO to lead the effort to turn this vision into practical, real-world solutions.
Today, this need is more urgent than ever. With the explosion of edge systems, from drones to satellites to connected vehicles, securing data where it is created and used has become mission-critical. Nowhere is this clearer than in defence. The war in Ukraine has shown how decisive trusted data can be in contested environments, and how fragile existing systems can be under attack.
That’s why we’ve focused on building and deploying AmiShare, our secure data mesh platform, to ensure resilient, trusted information is always available where and when it matters most."
Was your company already positioned as a dual-use company before DIANA? Why did you decide to apply to the programme?
"Yes, Kinnami has been positioned as a dual-use company from the very beginning, well before our participation in NATO DIANA. The challenges we solve in defence are the same ones faced in critical commercial sectors. Whether it is ensuring that data gets through during combat operations, or keeping vital services running during a storm or power outage, the core problem is the same: how do you guarantee trusted, accessible data in the moments that matter most?
Both defence and commercial organisations increasingly rely on decentralised edge systems, drones, vehicles, satellites, sensors, and mobile devices, but still need a clear, reliable way to manage information across them. Tactical edge environments, in particular, demand solutions that are secure, resilient, and able to function even when networks are disrupted or denied.
Our AmiShare platform was designed with this in mind. It delivers secure, intelligent data management across diverse devices and networks, and has been recognised in both worlds, from being named a Gartner Cool Vendor in Edge Computing to receiving NATO’s Innovation Challenge Award for Data Resilience.
We applied to DIANA because it provides a unique opportunity to accelerate the development and adoption of technologies that can strengthen defence while also benefiting society more broadly. By advancing resilient and trusted data solutions, we aim to support both military missions and civilian infrastructure in building a safer, more connected future."
How does your tech differ from competitors?
"Most existing solutions were designed for large, centralised data centers, where protection, security, and availability are treated as separate add-ons. Those approaches break down in the field, where devices are small, networks are unstable, and resources are limited.
Our solution, AmiShare, is different because it was purpose-built from the ground up for the edge. Instead of bolting features together, we deliver data resilience as an integrated whole. AmiShare is lightweight enough to run on low Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) systems like drones, sensors, and mobile devices, but powerful enough to orchestrate data securely across satellites, vehicles, and command systems.
Another key difference is flexibility. AmiShare is network- and operating system-agnostic, meaning it can run across any device and any network, and it integrates easily into the diverse ecosystems found in both defence and industry. Its AI-driven orchestration intelligently manages data flows, dynamically adapting to network conditions, available resources, and mission priorities to optimise resilience.
This edge-first design turns every device into a trusted node in a secure, intelligent data mesh, ensuring that critical information is always available, resilient, and secure, even when conditions are disrupted or contested.
Unlike legacy solutions, we built resilience and intelligence into the edge itself. By unifying protection, availability, trust, and AI-driven adaptability into a single platform, AmiShare ensures data can be relied upon wherever and whenever it is needed, without the heavy infrastructure traditional solutions require."
What has been your biggest success or milestone to date since starting the DIANA programme? How did participation in DIANA’s programme help make this possible?
"Our biggest milestone since joining the DIANA programme has been advancing our technology to TRL 6 and moving into real-world pilot projects, most notably our collaboration with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Together, we are developing SMART RDF, a secure and resilient data platform for critical infrastructure analytics. This work demonstrates the dual-use value of our technology, supporting military field assessments of bridges, energy systems, and resources, while also addressing urgent civilian needs to monitor and protect aging infrastructure such as waterways, dams, and roads.
What has made this milestone possible is the support and opportunities provided by DIANA. Through the programme, we’ve been able to test and validate our software with MIT Lincoln Laboratory, engage directly with NATO end users to better understand their operational needs, and participate in field exercises such as the NATO Innovation Continuum, where we could demonstrate our solution in realistic conditions.
These experiences have been invaluable — they not only accelerated our technical development but also shaped our roadmap to ensure AmiShare delivers real impact for both defence and civilian missions. For us, DIANA has been the bridge between innovation in the lab and trusted deployment in the field."
What is next on the horizon for your company or is there another milestone in the future you are excited about?
"Looking ahead to Fall 2025 and Spring 2026, our priority is moving AmiShare from successful pilots into field-hardened deployments. We are excited to participate in upcoming NATO and U.S. military exercises, where we will demonstrate how resilient, trusted data can transform mission effectiveness for NATO Allies operating in the toughest environments.
In parallel, we are preparing to deploy our capabilities with partners in other NATO countries, including the UK, Canada, Germany, Italy, and Estonia, ensuring that our solution supports allied forces and critical missions across multiple regions.
At the same time, we see enormous opportunity beyond defence. Commercial sectors such as ports, electric grids, and other critical infrastructure face growing risks from disruption and attack. These environments, much like the tactical edge, demand secure and intelligent ways to manage data across diverse devices and networks.
By advancing AmiShare, we aim to bridge these worlds, defence and civilian, with a single solution designed for resilience. Our vision is a future where both soldiers in the field and operators of critical infrastructure can rely on uninterrupted, trusted data to keep societies connected, safe, and resilient."