A Quarter Century on the Exchange: OHB's Journey from IPO to Aerospace Leader

German aerospace firm OHB SE celebrates 25 years as a public company, having transformed from a small telematics business into a major space and defense contractor with ambitious growth targets.

Celebrating a significant corporate milestone, Bremen-based aerospace specialist OHB SE marks 25 years as a publicly traded company. The firm, which undertook its initial public offering on March 13, 2001, has undergone a profound transformation from its modest beginnings.

From Telematics to the Stars: A Strategic Evolution

Initially listing as OHB Teledata AG, the company entered the market with just 125 employees and annual revenue of €15 million. Its IPO, priced at €10.50 per share, raised €24.15 million in capital. These early funds were directed toward telematics projects. However, a pivotal strategic shift occurred in 2002 with the acquisition of OHB System AG, decisively steering the company’s focus toward the space sector. An early validation of this new direction came with a contract from the German Bundeswehr for the SAR-Lupe radar reconnaissance system.

Today, the group anticipates revenue of approximately €1.2 billion for 2025 and employs about 3,800 people.

The Unique Model of Family Control and Public Listing

OHB stands out as one of the few survivors from the former "Neuer Markt" segment to maintain a lasting presence on the stock exchange. Leadership continuity has been a hallmark: CEO Marco Fuchs has steered the company uninterrupted since the IPO, while the founding family retains a clear majority stake. Recently, investment firm KKR entered as a minority investor.

Management has explicitly stated that delisting is not on the agenda, a position reaffirmed at the Capital Market Day in early 2026. Internally, the public listing is viewed as a credibility asset, particularly when engaging with institutional clients—a factor gaining importance in the expanding defense and space industries.

Robust Order Book Fuels Ambitious Growth Targets

Current operational strength underpins the anniversary celebrations. In 2025, order intake surged by 24% to around €2.1 billion. Adding to this momentum, OHB secured an €81 million contract in early March for a European asteroid mission focused on planetary defense.

The company has set ambitious medium-term goals, targeting an annual order volume of roughly €3 billion. It aims to increase total group revenue to €1.4 billion by 2026 and to over €2.0 billion by 2028. Investors await further concrete financial details, which will be provided in the audited consolidated financial statements for 2025, scheduled for release on March 19, 2026.