UMBRAGROUP acquires control of General Defence

UMBRAGROUP has signed an agreement to acquire a majority controlling stake in General Defence, one of Italy’s most innovative companies in the field of unmanned aerial systems and integrated defense solutions. The transaction marks another important step in the Group’s growth strategy and further strengthens its position in the Aerospace & Defence markets.

Through this acquisition, UMBRAGROUP expands its technology portfolio by entering the unmanned systems sector, a market characterized by rapid innovation, significant growth potential, and increasing strategic relevance.

General Defence is recognized for its expertise in the development and integration of advanced unmanned platforms, both aerial and underwater, including solutions such as the VTOL REVOLUTION, the MULTI-MD multirotor drone, and unmanned underwater vehicles, as well as related command and control capabilities, datalinks, and mission systems.

General Defence will continue to operate from its headquarters in Rome under the leadership of its current CEO, Francesco Colandrea, ensuring managerial and industrial continuity.

“Becoming part of UMBRAGROUP marks an important new chapter in General Defence’s development,” said Francesco Colandrea, CEO of General Defence, "By combining our innovation capabilities and extensive experience in unmanned systems with UMBRAGROUP’s industrial strength, international presence, and strategic vision, we will be able to accelerate the industrialization of our technologies, strengthen our position in global markets, and deliver increasingly advanced solutions to partners, customers, defense organizations, security operators, and institutional stakeholders”.

With this transaction, UMBRAGROUP further strengthens its presence in high-tech industries and expands its capabilities in developing advanced solutions for Aerospace, Defence, and mission-critical applications, reaffirming its commitment to investing in strategic technologies that will help shape the future of mobility and autonomous systems.

"The acquisition of General Defence represents another step forward in UMBRAGROUP’s long-term strategic plan" - said Matteo Notarangelo, CEO of UMBRAGROUP. - "We are entering a niche market characterized by strong technological innovation, significant growth prospects, and ever-increasing geopolitical importance: the market for unmanned systems, where miniaturization, weight reduction, and electrification are becoming key factors in competitiveness. By combining our capabilities in precision and mission-critical technologies with General Defence’s expertise in unmanned systems and integrated solutions, we will be able to accelerate the industrialization of physical artificial intelligence, expand our know-how in a highly specialized sector, and serve as an incubator for new technologies, developing advanced platforms and capabilities to serve the global defense and dual-use markets."

The completion of the transaction (closing) remains subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including the approval of the competent authorities and any applicable regulatory clearances.

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