News: Optoelectronics
20 November 2025
NUBURU executes first tranche of Tekne financial program
NUBURU Inc of Centennial, CO, USA — which was founded in 2015 and developed and previously manufactured high-power industrial blue lasers — has executed the €2m first tranche of financial support for Tekne S.p.A. (a provider of integrated electronic warfare and cyber capabilities in military vehicles), following the updated Tekne agreement announced 12 November.
The funding — facilitated through the Inventory Monetization platform powered by Supply@ME Capital Plc — marks the first phase of NUBURU’s broader €15m structured commitment to strengthen Tekne’s working capital, financial position, and long-term industrial capabilities.
Both companies confirm that progress across all elements of the renewed strategic partnership remains fully on track, including industrial cooperation, financial support, and joint go-to-market initiatives.
“This milestone reinforces our long-term strategic vision and the deep industrial alignment between our companies,” says NUBURU’s executive chairman & co-CEO Alessandro Zamboni. “The cooperation on joint innovation, market expansion, and defense-sector initiatives is advancing seamlessly. We look forward to accelerating this momentum as we continue building a unified defense and security platform across Italy, Europe, and the Americas.”
Key strategic workstreams & partnership progress is listed as:
- Joint Global Go-to-Market Execution — Progressing exclusive distribution plans for Tekne’s products & solutions in the Americas while coordinating on NATO, MENA, and APAC project opportunities.
- Operational Integration & Shared Capabilities — Combining Tekne’s engineering, production facilities, and specialized personnel with NUBURU’s project guarantees, technology stack, and international market access.
- Innovation and Co-Investment — Joint development programs in mobility, defense, laser-based systems, battlefield resilience, and critical-infrastructure security.
- Strategic-Interest Shareholding & Remaining Financial Support — Advancing toward the €13m convertible shareholder loan and NUBURU’s first-step acquisition of a 2.9% equity stake in Tekne. The conversion and path to a wider strategic-interest stake remain subject to the Italian Government review under the Golden Power regulation.
- Golden Power Notification & Drone JV — Preparation is underway for a new Golden Power notification by year-end, aligned with the planned joint venture with Maddox Defense Inc to develop and deploy unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for military and commercial use.
Next milestone: network contract (Contratto di Rete)
The companies expect to finalize the Italian ‘Network Contract’ by 30 November. This legal framework will formalize shared operational resources, coordinated R&D, and integrated commercial execution.
NUBURU says that, together, these milestones underscore its expanding role as a transatlantic defense and security provider, combining advanced laser technology, mobility platforms, drone systems, and resilience software into a unified ecosystem.
