American company Swarmer buys Ukrainian ground robot maker for US$224m – WSJ

US Defence company Swarmer is buying Ukrainian ground robotic systems manufacturer Ratel Robotics in a deal worth up to US$224 million.

Source: The Wall Street Journal

Details: The deal will be carried out through a cash-and-stock deal. The WSJ reports that it will be one of the largest acquisitions in Ukraine's unmanned systems industry.

Ratel Robotics specialises in developing ground robotic systems, while Swarmer builds AI-powered software for autonomous control and coordination of drone swarms.

Swarmer was founded in Ukraine in 2023, but the company is now based in Austin, Texas. Blackwater founder Erik Prince chairs Swarmer. The company is also reportedly backed by an investment vehicle linked to former Google CEO Eric Schmidt.

"From the perspective of Ukrainian companies, most of them can't develop the infrastructure necessary to sell worldwide," said Alex Fink, the US CEO of Swarmer. "So they are looking for partners that can give them resources and give them reach."

Swarmer has developed technology for the combat deployment of drone swarms. Its software allows groups of drones to determine which one will strike first and to adapt their actions to changing circumstances – for example, if one of the drones is running low on battery.

According to the company, the software, first deployed in April 2024, has already carried out more than 100,000 combat missions.

Background: It was reported earlier that Ukrainian radio manufacturer Himera announced a partnership with AI drone solutions developer Swarmer. Ratel Robotics also recently unveiled the Ratel R1 reconnaissance drone, with a stated flight range of up to 30 km.

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