Defense IT company TEKEVER with offices in Ukraine has raised $500 million.

The Portuguese IT startup TEKEVER, which specializes in developing AI-powered reconnaissance drones, has raised approximately $500 million in investments, increasing its valuation to $1.25 billion.

This milestone officially makes the company a “unicorn”—a privately held firm valued at over one billion dollars. The latest funding round received full investor backing and will enable TEKEVER to implement a five-year expansion program for its drone production, including the AR3 and AR5 models already actively used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

TEKEVER has offices in Ukraine responsible for technology adaptation, personnel training, and technical support. The company collaborates with the UK Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to TEKEVER, its drone systems have flown over 10,000 combat hours, contributing to the destruction of Russian military assets worth approximately $4 billion, including two S-400 air defense systems.

In this context, it is also worth noting the German company Quantum Systems, which currently produces 40 Vector reconnaissance drones per month in Ukraine. The company is also developing a new UAV that will be a fully Ukrainian-designed product, highlighting Ukraine’s growing role not only as a consumer but also as a developer of advanced military technologies.