Acacia Systems
Acacia Systems is an Australian defence software and systems engineering company founded in 1992 in Adelaide. It develops sensor tracking, data fusion, and mission management software (Onyx, Onyx Force, Reflex, Cortex) for the Australian Defence Force and allied militaries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1992
- HeadquartersHendon, Australia
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Acacia Systems does
Acacia Systems is an Australian defence software and systems engineering company headquartered in Adelaide, South Australia, founded in 1992. It develops mission-critical sensor and combat-system software deployed across naval, land, and air platforms, with a product suite spanning the Onyx advanced sensor tracker, Onyx Force cross-platform data fusion engine, Reflex mission records system, and Cortex mission management system. These products are integrated into platforms operated by the Australian Defence Force, Royal Australian Navy, Australian Army, AMSA, and allied navies, including participation in major programmes such as the Future Submarine (with Lockheed Martin Australia), SEA 1905, LAND 156 counter-drone, TEAM C4EDGE, and undersea surveillance research.
The company's revenue model rests on long-cycle defence procurement: multi-year platform integration contracts, consortium participation with primes (Leidos, Lockheed Martin, EOS), research engagements with the Royal Australian Navy, and product licensing and sustainment for installed bases. Acacia supplements organic revenue with non-dilutive Australian government R&D funding and collaborates with the University of Adelaide's AIML initiative and Flinders University on applied AI/ML work, focused on detection, classification, and tracking with low false-alarm rates.
The company currently operates with 51-100 employees and has expanded its commercial footprint through a US office in Arlington, Virginia, and a UK presence serving EMEA customers. Operational leadership was refreshed in 2024 with the appointment of Bob Humphreys as CEO, and engineering leadership was reinforced earlier with Chief Systems Engineer Anné de Wit. Despite no disclosed revenue figure, ongoing programme participation indicates a multi-year revenue pipeline tied to sovereign and allied defence modernisation cycles.
Acacia Systems firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Acacia Systems
- Legal name
- Acacia Systems Pty Ltd
- Website
- https://acaciasystems.com.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1992
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Acacia Systems is an Australian defence software and systems engineering company founded in 1992 in Adelaide. It develops sensor tracking, data fusion, and mission management software (Onyx, Onyx Force, Reflex, Cortex) for the Australian Defence Force and allied militaries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Acacia Systems industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Defence Mission Management Software
- NAICS
- Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511)
- SIC
- Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Autonomy Software, AI & Mission Management (UAS/UXV) (IMABAIAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USV) & Autonomous Maritime Surface Platforms (IMABAIAE)
Keywords
Where Acacia Systems is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hendon
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices2 records
Markets served
Acacia Systems business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Defence Software & Systems: Development and delivery of advanced mission management systems and tactical support applications to Australian Defence Force and allied military organizations. Includes product licensing for export to allied navies.
- Professional Services & Consulting: Bespoke consulting and programming services including integration services, through-life product support, and customized development. Examples include underwater acoustic vulnerability analysis, trade studies for submarine and frigate projects, imaging laser radar controllers, and future technology consulting.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Acacia Systems product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Acacia Systems develops and sells proprietary defence mission management software and sensor tracking systems (Onyx, Onyx Force, Reflex, Cortex) for naval, air and ground platforms. Products perform multi-sensor data fusion, target tracking and mission data management for anti-submarine warfare, surface combat and maritime surveillance applications. The company also delivers professional integration, support and custom development services to defence customers.
Product overview
Acacia Systems is a leading Australian defence software and systems engineering company that has developed a portfolio of four integrated mission management products, each targeting distinct operational domains. The core offering comprises: (1) Onyx — an Advanced Sensor Tracker providing multi-sensor data fusion for sonar, radar, ESM, and optronic domains, deployed on Australian Air Warfare Destroyers and allied navy fleets; (2) Onyx Force — a cross-platform fusion extension enabling multiple ASW assets to share pre-track sensor data for coordinated undersea surveillance; (3) Reflex — a mission records and data management system for capturing, visualising, and archiving all mission data elements, deployed on Collins class submarines and allied simulators; and (4) Cortex — a lightweight but capability-rich mission management platform integrating multiple sensors and aircraft mission systems, currently in service with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. These products share a common engineering foundation in data fusion, tracking, and sensor performance, and are backed by professional services for integration, custom development, and through-life support.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Onyx: World-class multi-sensor data fusion capability supporting fusion of sensor data across active and passive sonar domains (broadband and narrowband) for enhanced detection and tracking performance.
- Onyx Force
- Reflex
- Cortex
Products and services
- Onyx Advanced Sensor Tracker Onyx is a world-class, highly portable sensor tracking optimisation system that fuses sensor data across multiple sensors in the active and passive sonar domains (broadband and narrowband), and is sensor-agnostic across ESM, radar, optronic and sonar raw detection data. It provides automatic detection and tracking of submarine and surface acoustic contacts with very low false alarm rates, for naval combat system integrators and allied navies.
- Onyx Force Cross-Platform ASW Fusion System Onyx Force integrates Onyx across multiple platforms within an architectural fusion node framework, enabling cooperating Anti-Submarine Warfare assets to combine raw pre-track sensor data to deliver increased detection range, reduced time to solution and increased overall ASW screen capability. It is targeted at allied navies and naval forces seeking cooperative multi-platform ASW operations.
- Reflex Mission Records and Data Management System Reflex is a mission records and data management system that captures and visualises all mission data elements including multiple sensor data streams, the compiled tactical picture, and command insights, with data archiving and security management. It is deployed aboard Collins class submarines and integrated into allied Navy submarine combat system simulators, for naval operators and combat system training establishments.
- Cortex Mission Management System
- Integration, Support and Customised Development Services Bespoke professional services comprising integration services for Acacia's products, through-life product support, and customised development work including underwater acoustic vulnerability analysis, future capability trade studies for submarine and frigate projects, imaging laser radar controller design, and machine learning/AI consulting for combat systems. Targeted at defence agencies, prime contractors and maritime safety organisations.
Quantifiable outcome
- Onyx deployed in Australian Air Warfare Destroyers and licensed for export to allied navies
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Acacia Systems
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Acacia Systems technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
AI capability3 records
Feature4 records
Acacia Systems partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Leidos AustraliacoreAcacia provides Cortex Command and Control system for Australian Army LAND 156 counter drone capability program. Leidos serves as Systems Integrator. Partnership won Defence Teaming Centre Teaming Award in 2023.
- EOS AustraliacoreCollaboration on Australian Army LAND 156 counter drone capability program. EOS leads TEAM C4EDGE consortium for tactical communications.
- Defence Science and Technology GroupcoreResearch collaboration partner for undersea surveillance and AI-enabled Future Submarine programs. Provides government defence science expertise.
- University of Adelaide, University of South Australia, Curtin UniversitycoreResearch collaboration for $1.6m RAN undersea surveillance project bringing together world-leading researchers in multi-object tracking, reinforcement learning, and large language models.
- University of South Australia - Behaviour, Brain and Body Research CentreminorResearch partnership investigating integration of physiological and tactical data to improve command decision making.
- Electro Optic Systems (EOS)coreTEAM C4EDGE consortium under EOS leadership for Command, Control, Communications and Computing Evolutionary Digital Ground Environment program for Australian Army. $34.4m contract awarded.
- BlueZone Group and Sonartech AtlasminorAustralian Defence Innovation Hub grant collaboration for sovereign ASW capability using Wave Glider USV with KraitArray sonar and Acacia's Onyx platform.
- Safran Electronics and Defense AustralasiaminorSubcontract from Safran for design services on Attack Class submarine combat system - optronics search and attack, navigation radar, and navigation data distribution subsystems.
- Cobham Aviation Services AustraliacoreTen year strategic partnership for aircraft integration projects including Dash-8 surveillance aircraft. Cobham operates aircraft for Australian government airborne surveillance and search-and-rescue missions.
- Lockheed Martin AustraliacoreR&D industry partner for Future Submarine Program (Attack Class). Provides design services for combat system components including optronics, radar, and navigation systems.
- Defence Innovation PartnershipcoreLeading research project funded by Defence Innovation Partnership for AI enabling Australia's Future Submarine. Partners include University of Adelaide, Flinders University, DSTG and Lockheed Martin.
- University of Adelaide - Australian Institute of Machine LearningcoreResearch partnership for AI applications in defence combat systems - detection, tracking, classification and localisation. AIML is world leading institute assessed as best in world on many benchmarks.
- Flinders University - Centre for Maritime Engineering, Control and ImagingcoreCollaboration for unmanned vehicles research - UXV (unmanned aerial, surface and subsurface vehicles) for planning, surveillance, control, and monitoring.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Acacia Systems competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Saab Australia: Saab Australia is the combat-management-system provider for the Royal Australian Navy, including the Hobart-class AWD and Collins combat system. It is the closest direct peer to Acacia in the Australian naval sensor-fusion and C2 market, sharing the same sovereign-supplier buyer (ADF) and overlapping on submarine/fleet combat-systems work.
- Thales Australia: Thales Australia supplies sonars, sonar processing and combat-systems components to the RAN and partners with Acacia on RAN undersea-surveillance R&D (Bluesentry data). Overlap with Acacia on underwater acoustics, sonar fusion, and integration into naval platforms makes it a closely comparable technology and capability peer.
- Ultra Maritime (formerly Ultra Electronics Sonar Systems): Ultra Maritime is a specialist sonar-systems house whose Sonar Systems business was previously run by Acacia's EVP EMEA. It competes head-to-head with Acacia in passive/active sonar processing and towed-array systems across allied navies.
- Atlas Elektronik: Atlas Elektronik is a German sonar and combat-systems specialist (now part of Thales) competing in submarine combat systems, ASW and unmanned maritime vehicles. Overlaps directly with Acacia's Onyx-tracker and WaveGlider USV ASW domain.
- Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace: Kongsberg supplies naval combat-management, sonar processing and unmanned maritime systems to multiple allied navies - directly comparable to Acacia's mission-management and cross-platform fusion offerings for surface and submarine fleets.
- L3Harris Technologies: L3Harris collaborates with Acacia on LAND 156 counter-drone capability and supplies broader electronic-warfare, sonar and unmanned surface systems to allied navies - overlapping on sensor-fusion, C2 and C-UAS products Acacia sells.
- Saab Kockums (submarine combat systems): Saab Kockums is the parent Saab business unit providing submarine combat systems (e.g., A26/Collins class) and is the closest global analogue to Acacia's Reflex and Onyx submarine product lines, addressing the same global submarine C2 buyer.
Broad incumbents
- BAE Systems Australia: BAE Systems Australia is a tier-1 Australian defence prime with major combat-systems and combat-vehicle programmes (Hunter-class frigates, JORN). It is broader in scope than Acacia but competes for sovereign-systems integration roles in the same naval vertical and shares the same ADF buyer pool.
- Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems (Australia): Lockheed Martin is the prime on the Attack-class Future Submarine combat system and Acacia's R&D industry partner, but its broader combat-systems portfolio places it as a both partner and overarching incumbent in the same naval sensor/processing domain.
- Leidos Australia: Leidos Australia is the systems integrator on LAND 156 alongside Acacia and is a broader defence prime in C4ISR and integrated mission systems. Comparable as a sovereign C2 and counter-drone programme peer and a competitor for adjacent ADF integration work.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights8 records
Customer concentration
Acacia Systems social profiles
Digital presenceAcacia Systems financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Acacia Systems leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Acacia Systems funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
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Acacia Systems M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Acacia Systems
What does Acacia Systems do?
Acacia Systems develops and sells proprietary defence mission management software and sensor tracking systems (Onyx, Onyx Force, Reflex, Cortex) for naval, air and ground platforms. Products perform multi-sensor data fusion, target tracking and mission data management for anti-submarine warfare, surface combat and maritime surveillance applications. The company also delivers professional integration, support and custom development services to defence customers.
Is Acacia Systems a public or private company?
Acacia Systems is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Acacia Systems founded?
Acacia Systems was founded in 1992. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Acacia Systems based?
Acacia Systems is headquartered in Hendon, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Acacia Systems make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Defence Software & Systems are the primary driver. The others are professional Services & Consulting.
Who are Acacia Systems's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Saab Australia, Thales Australia, Ultra Maritime (formerly Ultra Electronics Sonar Systems), Atlas Elektronik, Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, L3Harris Technologies and Saab Kockums (submarine combat systems). Broad incumbents are BAE Systems Australia, Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems (Australia) and Leidos Australia.
Does Acacia Systems have an API?
No public API is recorded for Acacia Systems.
What industry is Acacia Systems in?
Acacia Systems's product category is Defence Mission Management Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMABAIAH, Autonomy Software, AI & Mission Management (UAS/UXV), with a secondary code of IMABAIAE, Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USV) & Autonomous Maritime Surface Platforms. Its NAICS code is 334511 and its SIC code is 3812.