Salesforce has agreed to acquire Rune Technologies, a start-up building AI software that helps the US military predict supply needs and manage logistics in the field, for $375 million in cash and stock, according to Resilience Media as reported by TechCrunch. Rune will join Missionforce, Salesforce's unit for national security and defence agencies, which grew 80% year on year. Founded in 2024, Rune had raised $30 million. It is the latest in a string of Salesforce acquisitions this year.

What it means: The deal shows how attractive defence has become for software companies that until recently worked mainly for businesses. Large Pentagon contracts, such as Salesforce's ten-year contract with the US Army, offer steady revenue at a time when investors worry about returns on AI spending. Rune brings something customer management software lacked: data from the front line, where supply decisions must be made with patchy connectivity. In Europe, rising defence budgets and EU programmes for the defence industry create similar openings. For Greek software firms with experience in supply chains, data analytics or systems that work without a stable connection, defence may be a new market, often through partnerships with larger suppliers. It does require preparation for strict security requirements, staff clearances and export control rules, which change how a small company operates. The decision is best made with a clear view of compliance costs and the time it takes to win a first contract.

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