Bremen-based Rheinmetall Electronics GmbH has acquired another 11% of the shares in Bavarian software developer blackned by means of a share purchase agreement, Rheinmetall announced on 10 January 2025.
With this acquisition Rheinmetall Electronics, which has so far held a 40% stake in blackned, intends to control 51% and thus the majority of the company.
The transaction is still subject to various conditions precedent and also requires approval by the German Federal Cartel Office.
Founded in 2009 and based in Heimertingen in Bavaria, blackned specialises in software for the digitalisation of armed forces. The company currently has around 200 employees and is growing rapidly. By increasing its shares in blackned, Rheinmetall is underlining the importance of digitalisation with modern IT architectures for the defence contractor.
In December 2024 Rheinmetall and blackned jointly secured a major order as part of the digitalisation of the Bundeswehr. The two companies are to work together in order to integrate the IT systems of all vehicle and platform systems of Germany’s land forces as part of the Digitisation of Land-Based Operations (D-LBO) project. Rheinmetall will account for around EUR 730 million of the contract volume, with blackned contributing around EUR 470 million. The new technology is to be integrated into more than 10,000 combat and support vehicles of the Bundeswehr by mid-2030.
Armin Papperger, chairman of the Executive Board of Rheinmetall AG, stated in a company press release, “The digitalisation of the armed forces is advancing, also internationally. We want to play a leading role here and are involved in corresponding projects, for example in Australia, the United Kingdom and Hungary. The fact that we are on the right track with digitalisation and by offering convincing solutions is demonstrated by our joint success in the major D-LBO project for the Bundeswehr.”
