TEKEVER announced the first close of a $580 million Series D at a $6.4 billion valuation, Tech.eu and Portuguese business publication ECO reported. The Portuguese-founded company supplies autonomous aircraft and mission software to defense and civilian teams that monitor borders, coastlines and conflict zones, turning sensor feeds into intelligence operators can use while a mission is underway.
UC Investments and Baillie Gifford led the financing, with Merlyn Advisors joining as a new strategic investor. TEKEVER said the first close accounts for most of the planned round and that it expects to add investors through later closings. The company intends to spend the capital on international expansion, manufacturing and technical capacity, and acquisitions.
In the field, an operator sends up a TEKEVER aircraft fitted with the sensors needed for the job. Its communications system carries collected data to ground-control software, where AI-assisted processing helps the team interpret it in real time. The setup can support coastal patrols, border observation, battlefield intelligence or searches for people in distress.
The aircraft choice determines how long the system can remain airborne and how much equipment it can carry. The compact AR3 and AR3 EVO are modular, while the larger AR5 can fly for roughly 20 hours and take a payload of as much as 50 kilograms. The lineup therefore covers both reconfigurable aircraft and longer-duration surveillance missions.
The AR5 is also the foundation for CORVUS, a surveillance capability TEKEVER was selected to deliver to the British Army through the UK Ministry of Defence. The ten-year program is designed to incorporate new technology over time, tying the aircraft to continuing development rather than a fixed delivery.