Tekever buys Scotland's Flowcopter to expand UK drone footprint
What's the deal? Portuguese drone maker Tekever has acquired FlowcopterDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, an Edinburgh-based engineering firm whose hydraulic transmission technology lets unmanned aerial systems (UAS) carry heavier payloads over longer distances than conventional platforms. The deal value was not disclosed.
What each side brings: Flowcopter builds propulsion technology for aerospace applications, while Tekever provides autonomy, operational scale, and international reach. The two firms already worked together on Tekever's AR6 system family.
What's the endgame? Tekever plans to integrate Flowcopter's engineering into its group to speed up development of long-endurance, high-payload aircraft. Target uses include logistics, casualty evacuation, offshore operations, search and rescue, and disaster relief.
Why now? The AR6 platform, unveiled at July's Farnborough International Airshow, already uses Flowcopter's hydraulic transmission technology. It can carry at least 200kg over more than 500km.
The acquisition marks what Tekever calls a "significant step" in its continued UK expansion, where it employs more than 300 people. The Caldas da Rainha-based company runs offices, factories, and testing sites in London, Bristol, Southampton, West Wales, Lydd, and Swindon.
"Flowcopter built an exceptional reputation in engineering innovation and developed truly differentiated technology that addresses some of the most demanding challenges in unmanned aviation," said Tekever chief executive officer Ricardo Mendes (translated from Portuguese).
Flowcopter managing director Peter McCurry said combining its technology with Tekever's "world-class autonomy, operational scale, and international reach" would let the firms deliver new capabilities to customers faster (translated from Portuguese).
The signal: The deal extends Tekever's push to widen its portfolio of autonomous systems across Europe, adding a specialist propulsion capability to a footprint already spread across six UK sites.
Read more: jornaldenegocios.pt
Image credit: U.S. Department of Defense
