Leonardo has taken another step in strengthening its position in the field of cybersecurity, enriching its portfolio of innovative proprietary products by taking over the Swedish company Axiomatics AB. The operation adds a key component in completing the company’s offering in the field of Zero Trust: a model of cybersecurity in which trust is never implicit, and every single system, network and data access must be constantly verified and protected.
This approach, adopted by Leonardo’s Global Cybersecurity Platform (GCC Platform), permits a complete view of the entire digital environment (referred to as cyber observability), proactively anticipating increasingly evolved and pervasive threats.
The acquisition completes the third industrial partnership and M&A operation in cybersecurity carried out by Leonardo in only a few months, in line with the Industrial Plan aimed at strengthening Leonardo’s international role.
The Axiomatics operation is one of a series of strategic initiatives launched by Leonardo in the cybersecurity sector in the Nordic countries: a partnership agreement with the Danish company Arbit concerning security and fast data transfer solutions in multi-domain operations, the more recent signing of the agreement for the acquisition of a 24.55% share in the Finnish SSH Communications Security Corporation, and the purchase of a share in the Swedish start-up CanaryBit, specialising in confidential computing and AI security, consolidating Leonardo’s Zero Trust and Data Centric Security international portfolio.
Founded in 2006 with headquarters in Stockholm, Axiomatics - also present in North America - is the only European player to offer a platform enabling Zero Trust architecture for authorisation management and data security with dynamic access control based on the ABAC (Attribute-Based Access Control) model. This solution allows to offer fine-grained and dynamic control when managing access to protected systems, in line with the requirements of mission-critical entities such as defence, government agencies and infrastructures. Leonardo's acquisition of the company and integration with the company's cybersecurity services and sales network will allow it to seize opportunities on this growing market, generating value for customers and partners around the world.
Finalisation of the acquisition transaction of a 100% share in Axiomatics AB is subject to: (i) confirmation in accordance with several authorities, also including Swedish authorities, concerning direct investment by foreign entities in companies operating in the defence sector (FDI), as well as (ii) the other conditions typically applied to investments of this nature. Leonardo was assisted by PwC during the process.
Leonardo is an international industrial group, among the main global companies in Aerospace, Defence, and Security (AD&S). With 60,000 employees worldwide, the company approaches global security through the Helicopters, Electronics, Aeronautics, Cyber & Security and Space sectors, and is a partner on the most important international programmes such as Eurofighter, JSF, NH-90, FREMM, GCAP, and Eurodrone.
Leonardo has significant production capabilities in Italy, the UK, Poland, and the USA. Leonardo utilises its subsidiaries, joint ventures, and shareholdings, which include Leonardo DRS (71.6%), MBDA (25%), ATR (50% ), Hensoldt (22.8%), Telespazio (67%), Thales Alenia Space (33%), and Avio (29.6%).
Listed on the Milan Stock Exchange (LDO), in 2024 Leonardo recorded new orders for €20.9 billion, with an order book of €44.2 billion and consolidated revenues of €17.8 billion. Included in the MIB ESG index, the company has also been part of the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) since 2010.
