Portuguese drone maker TEKEVER secures €13 million from Danish fund EIFO

Portuguese defence technology company TEKEVER, which develops AI-powered autonomous drone systems, has announced that it has secured €13 million from Denmark's investment fund EIFO. The money forms part of the company's €520 million ($580 million) Series D round, which values the firm at €5.7 billion ($6.4 billion). The first close of the round was announced on 23 September 2026. The deal will allow the company to establish its first operational presence in the Nordics, in Denmark.

Cooperation with Danish partners

The move brings TEKEVER closer to Denmark's ecosystem for drones, robotics, testing and research, opening opportunities to work with Danish companies and research institutions. TEKEVER CEO Ricardo Mendes said the Nordic countries are vital to Europe's sovereignty and resilience, and that the company looks forward to working with Danish partners in Odense and across the region.

Peder Lundquist, CEO of EIFO, said Europe needs defence companies that can grow and deliver at scale, and that the investment supports the company's next phase of growth.

The company and the wider sector

TEKEVER was founded in 2001 in Lisbon. It operates in IT, aerospace, defence and security, and builds drone systems used for purposes such as surveillance and intelligence gathering. Its drones have reportedly logged more than 50,000 operational flight hours in Ukraine, and the company holds long-term defence programmes in Germany, the United Kingdom and Portugal.

The financing comes amid a series of European investments in autonomous and defence-related technologies in 2026. Lisbon-based Beyond Vision raised over €28 million, Germany's Quantum Systems secured €1 billion in a Series D, Norway's Six Robotics raised €12 million, and Denmark's Acodyne secured €2.5 million, with EIFO taking part in the latter two rounds. EU-Startups estimates around €1.07 billion in adjacent funding this year, or roughly €1.59 billion including TEKEVER's Series D.