EDGE Group PJSC (EDGE), one of the world’s leading advanced technology and defence groups, today announced that it has assumed full ownership of the Strategic Development Fund (SDF), an investment firm based in Abu Dhabi, focused on investing in specific strategic technology and industrial sectors designed to foster economic and industrial growth in the UAE while achieving financial returns through private equity, greenfield and venture capital investments locally and internationally.
As part of the EDGE growth strategy, SDF will support and feed into the expansion of EDGE’s portfolio and mandate to develop advanced technologies through investments and direct venture partnerships, with a heightened focus on defence & security, aerospace, urban mobility, robotics and dual-use technology sectors, in order to support development in the UAE and to accelerate EDGE’s international growth plan.
Over the past two years, EDGE has acquired major shareholdings in 12 companies around the world, including Estonia-based Milrem Robotics, Europe’s leading developer of robotics and autonomous land systems; Brazil-based SIATT, which specialises in the manufacture of high-tech missile and radar systems; Poland-based FLARIS, a manufacturer of high-speed personal jets; and Switzerland-based ANAVIA, a leader in the development of autonomous helicopters. The group also has plans for further acquisitions and technology developments, SDF will play an instrumental role in supporting and complementing these initiatives while fulfilling its specific investment mandate, in alignment with the overall EDGE Group’s growth strategy.
Mansour Al Mulla, Managing Director and CEO of EDGE, said: “As a part of EDGE’s wider growth strategy locally and internationally, we are continuously ensuring pathways that secure a robust investment future, adding significant value to our portfolio. SDF will bring an existing portfolio and conduct further investments and partnerships within the UAE’s strategic sectors, complementing our group’s portfolio and investments to enhance the country’s capabilities across production, defence, space, robotics and autonomous technology industries. We look forward to strengthening and accelerating our acquisition roadmap, allowing us to more effectively broaden the range our comprehensive solutions.”
Abdulla Naser Al Jaabari, MD & CEO of SDF: "Becoming part of the EDGE Group marks a significant milestone for SDF, in its ability to contribute towards economic and industrial growth in the UAE within specific technology sectors leveraging our capabilities and aligning them towards meeting the overall group’s vision. We are excited to be part of one of the leading technology and defence groups globally and believe we will be able to capitalise on a wide range of synergies and opportunities towards the benefit of the EDGE Group and its technological advancement mandate.”
SDF has a demonstrated history of investing locally and internationally within various strategic sectors, developing joint venture partnerships, acquiring significant minority and majority equity stakes, and providing developmental funding for positive economic impact and financial returns. SDF’s investment avenues focus on venture investments, partnerships, and venture capital investments, while its portfolio spans across technologies in aerospace, defence & security, space and satellite technologies, robotics and autonomous technology, and advanced manufacturing.
