Druid buys Node-H to add 5G radio expertise after $20M raise
What's the deal? Ireland's Druid SoftwareDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has acquired Munich-based Node-HDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, bringing radio access network (RAN) expertise to its private 5G core software business. Terms were not disclosed, but the deal will grow Druid's workforce from about 100 to 120 people.
What each side does: Druid, founded in Dublin in 2001, sells core network software — what chief executive Liam KennyDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → calls the network's "central nervous system." Node-H builds the RAN, the radios and small cells that connect devices.
Why now? Some customers want a single software package combining core and RAN. "Where we're going at the moment is we're trying to bring a more end-to-end experience to the market for private networks," Kenny said. Druid and Node-H have collaborated since early 2023, pairing Druid's Raemis 5G core with Node-H's small-cell radios.
What's the endgame? Druid wants to manage combined hardware and software through a "single-pane-of-glass" system, using open O-RAN interfaces. It will not sell base stations itself, instead relying on partners including NokiaDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. "We're not doing this to get into the radio business," Kenny said.
The numbers: Kenny won't disclose annual revenue but says it has risen sevenfold in recent years and that Druid is profitable. In 2025, the company raised $20 million in a round led by J2 VenturesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and Hico Investment GroupDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →.
Punching up: Druid's growth outpaces larger rivals in the enterprise segment. EricssonDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →'s enterprise sales reached SEK25.7 billion ($2.7 billion) in 2023, boosted by its $6.2 billion Vonage takeover, but fell to SEK21.1 billion ($2.2 billion) in 2025. Kenny argues big vendors' cores don't fit private networks: "Their core products are not a great fit for private networks, and when they scale down it generally isn't either."
Where it plays: Druid targets larger private network deployments across sectors including electrical utilities, public safety, defence, mining, and healthcare, with contracts spanning North America, Europe, and Asia.
The signal: The takeover is a vertical integration play in the private 5G stack, bundling core and RAN to win enterprise deployments faster. Its significance lies in product completeness rather than deal size — a smaller specialist assembling a turnkey package to compete with traditional operators and industrial IoT rivals.
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Image credit: Generated with Gemini
