NUBURU has completed its acquisition of a 70% controlling interest in Italian defense manufacturer Tekne through subsidiary NUBURU Defense, expanding the company’s capabilities across electronic warfare, defense mobility, and special vehicles. Tekne’s historical shareholders will retain the remaining 30% stake.
NUBURU acquired an additional 67.1% interest in Tekne for a fixed purchase price of €5.2 million, consisting of €1.2 million paid at signing and €4 million deferred through March 2027. The agreement also includes an earn-out capped at €20 million, payable in cash beginning in 2028 and calculated as 5% of Tekne’s annual U.S. GAAP revenue, subject to a minimum annual payment of €2 million until the cap is reached.
Under renegotiated terms, the maximum earn-out was reduced from €29.692 million to €20 million, a decrease of approximately 32.6%. The original option to satisfy earn-out obligations with NUBURU shares was eliminated, meaning the earn-out will be paid entirely in cash.
NUBURU also waived approximately €29.7 million of shareholder loans and other receivables owed by Tekne, converting those amounts into a permanent, non-repayable equity contribution. The company said the move strengthens Tekne’s capital base while preserving the 70%-30% ownership structure.
Founded in 1990, Tekne employs approximately 185 people across facilities in Ortona, Poggiofiorito, and Guastalla, Italy. Its capabilities include electronic warfare, special vehicles, and defense mobility, with customers spanning defense, civil protection, public safety, and industrial markets.
Tekne’s September 14, 2026 management production schedule lists approximately $93.1 million, or €80.6 million, of remaining program value across defense, civil-protection, public-safety, and industrial programs. NUBURU noted that the figure is preliminary and unaudited, includes certain programs subject to options or activation requirements, and should not be interpreted as signed backlog or a revenue forecast.
NUBURU plans to integrate Tekne’s electronic-warfare and vehicle capabilities with Lyocon’s photonics and laser engineering and Orbit’s operational-resilience software. The broader strategy is designed to support mobile counter-drone and electronic-warfare systems, command-support nodes, and critical-infrastructure protection solutions, with the company also seeking recurring maintenance, software, upgrade, and lifecycle-support revenue.
The acquisition follows Italian Golden Power authorization received on August 5, 2026 and is part of NUBURU’s broader effort to build a vertically integrated defense and security platform serving customers in Italy, the U.S., NATO, and allied markets. Tekne will maintain its registered office and defense and security industrial facilities in Italy.
General Pietro Serino, former Chief of Staff of the Italian Army, has been selected to serve as Chairman of Tekne, subject to required corporate and regulatory approvals. NUBURU said it also expects to announce Tekne’s new CEO after the necessary approvals are completed.
KEY QUOTES:
“We set out to build a vertically integrated defense company, and today we own the stack: directed energy through Lyocon, electronic warfare and vehicles through Tekne, operational resilience software through Orbit, and the factories to build all of it in a NATO member state. We agreed to a fixed share purchase price of €5.2 million for the additional 67.1% interest in a 36-year-old business with a $93 million program portfolio, alongside the agreed recapitalization and cash earn-out. No NUBURU shares will be issued to pay the earn-out. That is the kind of capital allocation our shareholders should expect from us. Golden Power authorization from the Italian Government was a key milestone for this acquisition. Now we execute.”
Alessandro Zamboni, Executive Chairman And Co-Chief Executive Officer Of NUBURU
“Tekne’s Tactical Bubble electronic-warfare capability and its special-vehicle engineering are exactly the industrial layers our platform was designed around. We can now take a requirement from a NATO or allied customer and answer it with our own laser source, our own vehicle, our own mission software and our own production line. Owning the full stack, inside Europe, is what customers are asking for and what very few suppliers can offer.”
Dario Barisoni, Co-Chief Executive Officer Of NUBURU And Chief Executive Officer Of NUBURU Defense LLC
