UK Drone Maker UForce Hits £4.5bn Valuation After Raising £500m

A London-based naval drone maker founded by Ukrainians has reached a £4.5bn valuation after securing over £500m in new investment. Among the prominent drone makers UK investors are backing, UForce has rapidly emerged as a significant player in the defense sector. The company, which specializes in military drones for land, air, and sea operations, received a £113m injection from the UK’s national wealth fund, cementing its status as one of the country's fastest-growing unicorns.

The investment round was led by the UK government and Valor Equity Partners, a private equity firm founded by former Tesla director Antonio Gracias. Christopher Cavoli, a retired US general and former Nato supreme allied commander for Europe, is set to join the UForce board. The company also counts former UK defence secretary Ben Wallace among its board members.

UK-based drone maker UForce reaches £4.5bn valuation following £500m investment round.

Advancing Naval Capabilities

During a recent defence conference in Oslo, Norway, UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting met with UForce founder Oleg Rogynskyy aboard the HMS Prince of Wales. Demonstrating the technology's reach, Streeting successfully piloted a UForce MV7 uncrewed vessel located more than 1,500 miles away in the Atlantic Ocean. The Ministry of Defence has highlighted the potential of these maritime capabilities, particularly regarding the protection of critical infrastructure like cables and pipelines against sabotage. The UK plans to deploy sea-borne drones in northern waters to monitor Russian nuclear submarine activity.

Rogynskyy, who grew up in Dnipro, Ukraine, and previously founded the Silicon Valley tech firm People.ai, stated that the goal is to make aggression unaffordable. He noted that the funding will allow the company to scale production for both Ukraine and its allies. According to Rogynskyy, the conflict in Ukraine has demonstrated that modern defense requires autonomous, interoperable, and cost-effective platforms that can evolve rapidly to meet changing threats.

As part of the agreement, UForce has committed to investing in a British supply chain. The Ministry of Defence stated that over 70% of the content for each UK-built vessel, including hulls, engines, and electronics, will be sourced from domestic suppliers, creating high-skilled jobs and strengthening national industrial readiness.

Why it matters

This investment marks a significant shift in how the UK approaches military innovation, moving from a role of training allies to learning from battle-tested Ukrainian expertise. By localizing production, the UK aims to enhance its own war-fighting readiness and deterrence capabilities.

For the broader international community, the deal signals a move toward agile, autonomous defense systems that can be produced at scale. This development highlights the increasing importance of private-public partnerships in modern defense, where rapid technological iteration is now considered a key measure of military power.