Black Duck Software provides a platform for managing and securing the software supply chain, with particular emphasis on open source governance and application security. Founded in 2002 and headquartered near Boston, the company serves over 4,000 organisations worldwide.
The platform integrates multiple security testing capabilities: Software Composition Analysis (SCA) for tracking open source licenses and components, Static Application Security Testing (SAST), Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST), and AI-powered security testing. Its core strength lies in helping development teams understand their open source usage, ensure licensing compliance, and identify vulnerabilities across their codebase.
Black Duck was acquired by Synopsys in 2014 before transitioning to independent ownership in 2024 under Clearlake Capital and Francisco Partners. The company operates at the intersection of developer workflows and security operations, addressing the growing complexity of software supply chains as organisations increasingly rely on open source components.
