The NATO Innovation Fund has made its first biotech investment, co-leading a $35 million funding round in UK-based Portal Biotech to bolster biosecurity capabilities. Portal Biotech uses AI-driven protein sequencing technology and portable biological sensors to rapidly detect engineered pathogens, offering on-site results within hours. The company aims to support bio-defence, pandemic preparedness, and environmental monitoring. Ana Bernardo-Gancedo, senior associate at the NATO Innovation Fund, described the technology as essential for detecting and countering biological threats. Founded in 2022 to boost NATO's defensive technologies, the fund plans to invest over $1 billion. Other investors in the round include Earlybird Venture Capital, Science Creates VC, Pillar VC, 8VC, We VC, and the British Business Bank. Attribution: Reuters Subediting: M. S. Salama