REG - Defence Holdings PLC - Update on Strategic Partnership with Whitespace

Defence HoldingsAnnouncement

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RNS Number : 5494X  Defence Holdings PLC   02 September 2025

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

2 September 2025
London, UK
Defence Holdings PLC
("Defence" or "the Company")
 

Defence Holdings and Whitespace Launch Defence Technologies: A Dedicated
Platform for Sovereign AI Delivery

Defence Holdings PLC (LSE: ALRT), the UK's first listed software-led defence
company, announces that its strategic partnership with Whitespace Global
Limited ("Whitespace") will now operate under the title, Defence Technologies,
providing a single brand identity for delivery of sovereign AI capabilities.

Defence Technologies provides a dedicated platform identity for the
development, integration, and deployment of sovereign AI-enabled defence
software products. The project creates clarity of brand and purpose,
signalling to defence stakeholders and industry primes that the partnership is
structured, focused, and execution-ready.

 

Key Highlights

●    Defence Holdings PLC and Whitespace confirm partnership under the
branded title: Defence Technologies.

●    Establishes a single, credible brand for defence stakeholders and
primes, signalling focus, execution readiness, and scale.

●    Defence Holdings PLC provides strategy, partnerships, market access
and shareholder value creation; Defence Technologies is the branded delivery
platform inside defence.

●    Two classified MOD applications already underway, with details to
follow imminently.

●    Platform structured to progress multiple products simultaneously,
each with clear pathways for deployment, potential spin-outs, and
collaboration with hyperscale technology partners to ensure sovereign-grade
scalability and resilience.

●    Directly aligned with the UK Strategic Defence Review 2025
priorities, including ISR, cyber, autonomy, and information domain operations.

For the defence community, this clarity is essential: it demonstrates laser focus and intent, provides a clear point of engagement, and ensures the partnership is recognised as a credible delivery platform in its own right. For investors, it strengthens Defence Holdings' position as the UK's only listed vehicle with both the market access and the operational depth to build sovereign digital capabilities at scale.
The platform is already active, with two classified products in build for the UK Ministry of Defence ("MOD"), to be formally announced in the short term. This marks a pivotal step in Defence Holdings' five-year plan to deliver sovereign, software-defined capabilities across intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), cyber, autonomy, and operations in the information domain.
Strategic Rationale

The launch of Defence Technologies marks a decisive shift from concept to
execution. It provides the clarity of brand and structure that both defence
stakeholders and investors demand, signalling that the partnership between
Defence Holdings and Whitespace is focused, credible, and built to deliver at
scale.

For the defence community, Defence Technologies offers a single, recognisable
platform identity. Primes, government, and procurement bodies need certainty
over who they are engaging with, and this brand re-emphasises that the
partnership is a sovereign ready delivery platform.

For investors, the distinction is equally important. Defence Holdings remains
the listed parent company, accountable for driving shareholder returns,
through market access, strategic partnerships, disciplined capital allocation,
and ultimately share price growth.

Defence Technologies provides the operational face of delivery, demonstrating
how those partnerships translate into products with real-world deployment.

Most importantly, the clarity of intent is already proven. The first
classified product build for the Ministry of Defence is underway, with further
opportunities under discussion. This is not theory or distant ambition - it is
live execution in defence domains.

The brand and structure positions Defence Holdings to compete head-to-head
with traditional primes while bringing the agility and innovation of a
software-first approach into the defence sector.

Leadership Commentary

Andrew McCartney, Chief Technology Officer, Defence Holdings, commented:

"Defence Technologies provides the identity and focus we need to turn strategy
into product. It gives our stakeholders, from primes to procurement, a clear
platform to engage with, while enabling us to scale multiple developments at
once. With our first classified products already in build for the MOD, the
platform is proving its impact from day one, and will continue to accelerate
delivery across multiple domains."

James Norwood, Chairman, Defence Holdings PLC, added:

"The launch of Defence Technologies cements one of the most strategically
important partnerships in UK defence technology. This clarity of brand shows
we are laser-focused, execution-ready, and able to stand alongside the
traditional primes with a credible sovereign platform. For Defence Holdings,
it represents a decisive shift from strategy to delivery."

About Defence Holdings PLC (ALRT)

Defence Holdings PLC (LSE: ALRT) is the UK's first listed software-led defence
company. Its five-year strategic plan focuses on delivering sovereign digital
capabilities across national security, resilience, and defence readiness.

Media Enquiries
Brian Stockbridge, Director

Defence Holdings PLC

Tel: +44 (0)20 3855 5551 · Email: press@defenceplc.com

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