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Ukrainian-Founded UFORCE Raises $700 Million to Scale Combat-Proven Drones and Robots
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UFORCE, a Ukrainian-founded defense technology company that builds autonomous air, land, and sea systems, has raised $700 million in Series A financing at a $6 billion valuation, the company announced on November 12.
The funding round was co-led by Valor Equity Partners and the UK National Wealth Fund, with participation from the US-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund. Investors from Silicon Valley, Europe, and Asia also joined the round, while existing backers increased their stakes.
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UFORCE stated that the investment will support continuous manufacturing in Ukraine and allied countries, expand research and development, and increase production of its MAGURA uncrewed surface vessels, NEMESIS UAVs, LIUT ground robotic platforms, and PREDATOR counter-UAS turrets.
“This investment will help us scale production for Ukraine and bring to allies solutions they can field, integrate and sustain at the speed of modern combat,” UFORCE CEO Oleg Rogynskyy stated.
The company plans to expand production capacity across the US, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East, with manufacturing located closer to the regions where its systems are expected to be deployed.
UFORCE noted that the distributed production model is intended to maintain supplies for Ukrainian frontline forces despite continued attacks on industrial facilities in Ukraine.
The US-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund will direct its investment toward UFORCE’s Ukrainian operations, including staffing, research and development, and new product development.
The company also plans to expand partnerships with allied manufacturers. UFORCE recently announced cooperation with ReconCraft to scale US production of MAGURA systems.
It stated that it would continue working through NATO, the Joint Expeditionary Force, and the EU-Ukraine Drone Alliance.
Retired General Christopher G. Cavoli, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe and now a partner at Valor Equity Partners, will join UFORCE’s board.
“Ukraine has shown the world how quickly battlefield innovation can move when engineers work side by side with the people who rely on their systems,” Cavoli stated.
UFORCE’s MAGURA uncrewed surface vessels have been used by Ukrainian forces in Black Sea operations, while its NEMESIS heavy strike UAVs have recorded more than 300,000 combat flights and are deployed across more than 100 Ukrainian units, according to the company.
UFORCE had already been expanding its engineering capabilities internationally before the latest funding round. In September, the company reported recruiting Formula 1 engineers to work on next-generation MAGURA naval drones, applying expertise in composites, engine optimization, sensors, and weight reduction to Ukrainian unmanned systems.
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