TEKEVER confirmed as Europe’s newest unicorn as it invests £400M in the UK to drive AI-driven defence

New funding round fully subscribed by existing investors to accelerate TEKEVER’s expansion

Company launches bold five-year program to enhance European security by building Defence innovation ecosystem

TEKEVER, Europe’s leading provider of AI-driven Autonomous Systems, today announced the raise of a new funding round. Fully committed by existing investors, including round leader Ventura Capital, Baillie Gifford, the NATO Innovation Fund (NIF), Iberis Capital and Crescent Cove, the round confirms TEKEVER’s valuation above £1 Billion. This milestone cements TEKEVER as a European DefTech leader and fuels its continued expansion across Europe, as the company pursues global leadership in AI-driven autonomous defence and security.

The funding round coincides with the launch of TEKEVER’s ambitious five-year £400 million development program for the UK, known as OVERMATCH, aimed at transforming the UK’s defence industry and ensuring the UK and its allies remain at the forefront of vital autonomous, AI-driven technology.

The investment in research, infrastructure, and defence technology will generate more than 1000 high-skilled jobs and lay the foundation for a sovereign capability in next-generation warfare. The project will expand production of TEKEVER’s family of UAS (unmanned aerial systems, popularly known as drones), including the AR3 and AR5, in the UK, supporting the development of sovereign defence systems.

Building on three years of frontline innovation in partnership with the UK Ministry of Defence and Ukrainian forces, TEKEVER’s systems have accumulated over 10,000 combat flight hours and contributed to the destruction of over £3bn worth of Russian military assets — including two of Russia’s advanced S-400 air defence systems. OVERMATCH is the next step: scaling this battlefield- proven success into a sustainable, strategic capability for the UK.

OVERMATCH is structured around four core pillars. The first is BUILD, through which TEKEVER will establish Centres of Excellence for Autonomy in the UK — hubs designed to unite academia, industry, and government in the pursuit of defence innovation. The second, NETWORK, involves the expansion of a pan-European testing and evaluation infrastructure, including new facilities built upon existing operations in the UK. The third pillar, SCALE, will deliver next-generation production hubs capable of responding with speed and flexibility to evolving operational demands. Finally, the PARTNER pillar reflects TEKEVER’s commitment to fostering an inclusive ecosystem, promoting collaboration between large and small players, and encouraging greater cross-border cooperation among like- minded nations.

At the heart of TEKEVER’s strategy is the creation of a defence innovation ecosystem that will bring together European businesses, particularly small to medium-sized enterprises, to integrate, test and scale new defence technologies to support the armed forces in the delivery of complex missions. A key lesson from the war in Ukraine is that success requires being constantly one step ahead. A new type of government-industry relationship, that puts operational output front and center, embraces new technologies faster than ever before, and iterates those capabilities faster than our adversaries is essential. With OVERMATCH, TEKEVER is stepping up and committing its full support in driving forward this critical agenda.

Ricardo Mendes, CEO of TEKEVER, commented: “The future of Europe relies on more than just increased defence spending; we need to transform our industrial base and be smarter about investments. TEKEVER’s experience deploying autonomous systems in Ukraine has shown us that the future of defence is about agility more than anything. That’s why we are launching our new strategy focused on establishing a defence innovation ecosystem that empowers companies of all sizes to innovate at pace and scale with the shared mission of securing the future of Europe. This latest funding round will help us deliver that mission. The continued backing from our investors, including Baillie Gifford and the NATO Innovation Fund, reflects their confidence in our vision, technology and long- term success.”

John Ridge, Chief Adoption Officer at the NATO Innovation Fund, commented: “I have been a fan of Tekever since my time as the Director of Innovation in the UK Ministry of Defence. Their mission focus and adaptability made them one of the most successful drone providers into Ukraine through Task Force Kindred. Their offering of uncrewed surveillance solutions has been instrumental in helping Ukraine counter Russian aggression by continuously innovating at the pace of conflict. It is therefore extremely exciting to be supporting them in my current role as the Chief Adoption Officer at the NATO Innovation Fund. Not only are they integrating increasingly sophisticated AI and software into their platforms, they are now also forging innovative new partnerships between government and industry to help transform Europe’s industrial base. We are committed to fully supporting Tekever’s Project Overmatch, which will catalyse the development of AI and autonomy in the UK, create thousands of high-skilled jobs, and help NATO unlock the potential of new technology to deal with an increasingly complex security environment in Europe.”

Mo El Husseiny, Managing Partner at Ventura Capital commented: “As a long-term investor in TEKEVER, we are proud of the company’s significant growth and to have led this investment round. TEKEVER is a flagship investment in Ventura’s portfolio of disruptive technology companies with market-leading technology, thousands of hours of operational experience and a uniquely profitable, sustainable business model.”

Chris Evdaimon, Investment Manager, Private Companies at Baillie Gifford commented: “The global defence and security landscape is rapidly changing and TEKEVER is well-placed to capture the opportunities emerging in this sector. With its vertically-integrated model and extensive operational experience in Ukraine, TEKEVER is driving the transformation of Europe’s defence capabilities and leading a new generation of agile, software-centric defence primes.”

Jun Hong Heng, Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Crescent Cove Advisors LP. commented: “We are excited to be part of TEKEVER’s next phase of growth as it scales to become a leader in Autonomy for defence and security. TEKEVER’s AI-first approach and vertical integration position it well to capture the opportunities emerging in the defence and security sectors.”

Diogo Chalbert Santos, Partner at Iberis Capital, commented: “TEKEVER stands out in the rapidly evolving defence and security sector with its unmatched innovation in autonomous systems. As the geopolitical landscape becomes increasingly complex, their ability to deliver scalable, advanced solutions positions the company as a leader in the defence and security ecosystem.”

A spokesperson for the National Security Strategic Investment Fund (NSSIF), said: ”As an existing investor, we are delighted to see further investment into TEKEVER that will strengthen our national security and defence, and benefit the UK economy”

ABOUT TEKEVER

TEKEVER (www.tekever.com) is a leading pan-European technology company driving innovation in Defence & Security through AI-centric Autonomous Systems. With a fully vertically integrated model — spanning Aerospace structural engineering, design and manufacturing, propulsion systems, complex optical and RF payload development, communication systems, avionics, software, data science, and artificial intelligence — TEKEVER delivers complete, end-to-end systems and services tailored to the complex demands of modern security operations. With a highly skilled and rapidly growing workforce of almost 1000, and cutting-edge facilities spread throughout the UK, Portugal, France and Ukraine, TEKEVER is the leading European provider of AI-centric Autonomy, supporting Defence and Security forces with capabilities that evolve at pace and are delivered at scale.

ABOUT OUR INVESTORS

Ventura Capital

Founded in 2012, Ventura Capital provides investors with exposure to disruptive consumer and enterprise technology companies that are growing exponentially and approaching IPO. Through its global network and proven technology sector expertise, the firm is able to source and invest in exclusive and compelling private companies on a clear trajectory to IPO.

Baillie Gifford

Baillie Gifford is an independent investment partnership founded over a century ago in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is owned and run by 58 partners who all work at the firm. The firm’s mission is to find game-changing companies (both public and private) that can sustain growth and provide returns for clients over five to ten years and longer. With 1,708 staff and assets under management of €263bn, it has 10 offices worldwide.

NATO Innovation Fund

The NATO Innovation Fund is a venture capital fund, backed by 24 NATO Allies, that deploys more than €1 billion in deep tech to address challenges in defence, security, and resilience. The fund invests independently, with 24 nations supporting its portfolio’s success and helping provide deep tech entrepreneurs with access to both commercial and government markets.

Participating NATO Allies are: Belgium; Bulgaria; Czechia; Denmark; Estonia; Finland; Germany; Greece; Hungary; Iceland; Italy; Latvia; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Netherlands; Norway; Poland; Portugal; Romania; Slovakia; Spain; Sweden; Türkiye; United Kingdom.

Crescent Cove Advisors LP

Crescent Cove Advisors, LP is a private market investment firm focused on technology investments and dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs and founders. Established in 2016, Crescent Cove leverages its global network of relationships and unique insight across markets, emerging industries and technologies to build businesses and accelerate value creation across its portfolios. For more information, visit www.crescentcove.com.

The National Security Strategic Investment Fund (NSSIF)

The National Security Strategic Investment Fund is the UK Government’s corporate venturing arm for pioneering dual-use technologies. NSSIF invests commercially, alongside other investors, in innovative start-ups, whose advanced technologies have step change potential both in the private sector and in the national security and defence.

Iberis Capital

Iberis Capital is a leading private equity and venture capital manager in Portugal. Iberis invests across different stages, from seed capital to growth and buy-out in companies and teams with global focus and disruptive mindset.