Airbus Completes Acquisition of Quarkslab and Strengthens Cyber Activities
Airbus Defence and Space has completed the acquisition of French company Quarkslab following the receipt of regulatory approvals. The operation adds to a series of acquisitions conducted across Europe since 2024 to expand the group's cyber activities.
Acquisition Finalized Following Regulatory Approval
Airbus Defence and Space announced on October 1, 2026 that it has completed the acquisition of Quarkslab, a French company specializing in cybersecurity.
The operation was completed following the receipt of necessary regulatory approvals. Founded in 2011, Quarkslab is a private company with approximately 100 employees, primarily based in Paris and Rennes.
Since 2020, the company has benefited from the support of Tikehau Capital, a global alternative asset manager. Quarkslab provides cybersecurity solutions designed to protect organizations, their critical assets, their data and their users against cyberattacks.
Its QShield product is a solution intended for software publishers, aimed at protecting software against threats related to artificial intelligence, securing data, secrets and code, and protecting peripheral components against reverse engineering attempts, particularly in the defense and aerospace sectors.
Strengthened Cyber Portfolio in Europe
According to the group, Quarkslab was already a supplier and partner of Airbus and comes to complement the aircraft manufacturer's French sovereign capabilities in the field of cybersecurity.
The operation follows the acquisition of Infodas in Germany in 2024 and that of Ultra Cyber Ltd in the United Kingdom, announced in March 2026.
Airbus Defence and Space has a pan-European presence in cybersecurity, with teams in France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain and Finland. These teams ensure the security of digital systems and networks supplied to customers that are primarily governmental, armed forces and institutions.
Quarkslab's QLab team, associated with the QShield platform, offers tailored solutions to protect nations and the private sector against attacks described as increasingly sophisticated.
Quarkslab's Expertise Serving Sovereign Strategy
François Lombard, director of the Connected Intelligence division at Airbus Defence and Space, indicated that the expertise of Quarkslab's team should strengthen the group's cyber activities.
He stated that this acquisition would contribute to developing the digital shield intended for the group's countries of origin and their allies. The operation is part of the strategy displayed by Airbus to consolidate its position as a sovereign partner to French authorities while strengthening its presence in the European cybersecurity market.
