TEKEVER

TEKEVER is a Portuguese company founded in 2001 in Lisbon that transformed itself into one of Europe's leading manufacturers of drones for defence and surveillance applications — and one of the symbols of the new European defence tech industry. Its flagship product is the AR5, a fixed-wing drone for extended-autonomy maritime and terrestrial surveillance, deployed by armed forces and coast guards in several NATO nations. The conflict in Ukraine turned TEKEVER into a global case study: AR5 drones supplied to Ukraine caused losses to Russian forces estimated at over $4 billion, demonstrating the operational effectiveness of European systems in a real combat context. This operational track record catalysed government contracts: with the British Royal Air Force, with the Spanish government for border surveillance, and with Portuguese authorities. May 2025 brought formal recognition: TEKEVER became Portugal's seventh unicorn after raising approximately $500 million in investment at a valuation exceeding €1 billion, backed by Ventura Capital, Baillie Gifford, the NATO Innovation Fund, and others. The expansion plan includes a £400 million investment in the UK over five years — with a manufacturing facility in Swindon and the creation of over 1,000 jobs — positioning TEKEVER as a structural player in the European defence industry.