Utimaco

Utimaco's product portfolio includes:

• Hardware Security Modules (HSMs)
• Key Management Solutions
• Data Protection
• Data Intelligence Solutions
• Public Warning Systems

In mid-1983, Horst Görtz acquired the computer centre company Utilisation des Machines Comptables, and renamed it uti-maco software GmbH (an abbreviation of the original name).^[1][2]

In 1990, the company moved from Frankfurt to Oberursel.^[3] One year later, Utimaco established its first subsidiary in the USA.^[1] In 1994, the company merged with the Austrian Safeware Ges.mbH in Linz^[4] and subsequently changed from a private company (GmbH) to a joint-stock corporation, the Utimaco Safeware AG.^[5]

Later that year, Utimaco took over the Dutch distributor D&R, which had been Utimaco's sales partner since 1988, and continued after the acquisition as a wholly owned subsidiary under the name Utimaco Safeware BV.^[6] Until 1998, further subsidiaries were founded in Austria and Belgium,^[7] France, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Norway,^[8] as well as in Sweden and Finland,^[9] and the US company Mergent International was acquired.^[10]

Utimaco made its IPO in February 1999 as Utimaco Safeware AG at Neuer Markt, a segment of Deutsche Börse.^[2] Later that year, Utimaco took over the operating business of Kryptokom GmbH in Aachen.^[11]

In 2000, Utimaco introduced a card reader for online payments.^[12] In the same year, ACG and Utimaco founded the joint venture Omnikey AG.^[13] By 2000, the company's SafeGuard Easy software was used by companies and authorities like the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Deutsche Post AG and the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency, amongst others.^[3]

In 2001, Utimaco entered a partnership with Precise Biometrics, a European company in the field of biometrics.^[14] In 2002, the company was restructured. The business units Personal Device Security (PDS), Digital Transaction Security (DTS) and the system house for customer-specific security services — the core of former Kryptokom — were retained. The two business units Network Security and Security Modules were discontinued.^[15]

In 2008, Sophos announced to take over Utimaco through a voluntary public tender offering.^[16] By 2009, Sophos had acquired 92% of Utimaco's shares and subsequently established a profit and loss transfer and domination agreement.^[17][18] In 2012, Sophos conducted squeeze-out proceedings against the minority shareholders of Utimaco and delisted the company from the stock market.^[18] In the same year, the annual general meeting amended the Articles of Association and transferred the registered headquarters from Oberursel to Aachen.^[19]

In 2013, Sophos sold Utimaco to management and financial investors Pinova Capital GmbH (Munich) and BIP Capital Partners (Luxembourg),^[20] and since January 2017, the investment company EQT Partners has become an additional shareholder.^[21]

In 2014, Utimaco Safeware AG was dissolved,^[19] and in 2016, Utimaco Management GmbH was founded.^[22] Two years later, Utimaco acquired the US company Atalla and its product lines from Micro Focus International.^[23]

In February 2020, Utimaco announced the acquisition of Geobridge (Virginia, USA). In December 2020, Utimaco acquired UK-based MYHSM, a global provider of payment hardware security modules. In April 2021, Utimaco acquired exceet Secure Solutions GmbH, a provider of secure services for IT security and the Internet of Things (IoT).^[24] Furthermore, in May 2021, Utimaco acquired all shares in Realia Technologies, S.L. (Realsec), Madrid, Spain — a provider of hardware security modules — and the corresponding subsidiaries.^[25]

In August 2021, Utimaco was acquired by SGT Capital^[26] and finalised in early May 2022, after receiving all necessary clearances. Soon after, Utimaco acquired Celltick, a provider of public-warning and mass notification systems.^[27] In April 2023, Utimaco acquired conpal GmbH, a provider of IT security systems for protection of private data and authentication.^[28]

Since 2022, SGT Capital is the majority shareholder of the group and is complemented by the minority stake of Utimaco management, employees and EQT; alongside Bain Capital Credit and Tyrus Capital, as well as other institutional investors including Capital Dynamics, Commonfund, Flandrin Capital, University of Wisconsin Foundation, and UBS Global Wealth Management.^[27]

Utimaco Verwaltungs GmbH is the group's mother company, which holds liability for Utimaco Management GmbH.^[29] Utimaco Management GmbH is responsible for the operating business of the group, with all its subsidiaries.^[30] It is led by Stefan Auerbach (2019), Martin Stamm (2020), Hacan Tiwemark (2022) and Cindy Provin (2024).^[22]

Source: Bundesanzeiger, Unternehmensregister^[31][25][32]

• Official website