Business · Defence Technology
Scipio signs with Thales
A young European defence-technology company has persuaded one of the largest defence firms on earth to put its name next to its own.
Scipio, founded by the German entrepreneur Philipp, builds what is best described as the software brain of a modern military: a system that tells armed forces, in real time, what they hold, what they have used, and what they need on the ground.
This week the company signed a partnership with Thales, one of the largest defence firms on the planet, with 80,000 people across 68 countries. Scipio's software plugs directly into Thales's command systems, so that for the first time a commander can see the battle plan and the actual supply reality on a single screen.
For a company this young, having Thales stand next to its name is an extraordinary validation.
Whatever one feels about the machinery of war, this is a serious agreement, and a remarkable one for a business that was small not long ago. ■