Welcome to our weekly South West Tech News roundup, where you can get all the headlines from the past week in one place.
What has our busy tech and digital community been up to this week? From award wins and innovative breakthroughs to unmissable events and capital raised, take a moment to reflect on the hive of daily activity taking place in our region.
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TEKEVER closes first tranche of $580m Series D, hits $6.4bn valuation
TEKEVER has completed the first close of its $580m Series D financing round, valuing the drone manufacturer at $6.4bn.
The raise comes as the Portuguese company continues to scale rapidly, having recently confirmed its largest UK production site in Swindon – a hub expected to support up to 1,000 skilled jobs across engineering, manufacturing and R&D.
The fresh capital is set to fuel further growth for its AR3 and AR5 platforms, including the RAF’s StormShroud airborne jammer.
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Bristol-linked Tribal Group to be acquired for £189.3m
Tribal Group, the UK-based education software provider with offices in Bristol, is set to be acquired by Main Capital Partners for approximately £189.3m.
The deal covers Tribal’s Student Information Solutions division and Etio, with the group currently serving more than 660 institutions worldwide, including over 200 universities.
CEO Mark Pickett said the acquisition would help accelerate product innovation, cloud adoption and international growth, with completion expected in Q4 2026.
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Bristol's Peequal secures Dragons' Den investment from Deborah Meaden
Bristol startup Peequal, founded by University of Bristol alumni Amber Probyn and Hazel McShane, has secured £100,000 investment from Deborah Meaden on Dragons’ Den, in exchange for a five per cent stake.
The “squat and go” female urinals have already been used at 34 major festivals this summer, including Glastonbury and Electric Picnic, with revenue projected to triple in 2026 after generating just under £250,000 in 2025.
Backed by over £1m raised in 2025, the startup is now setting its sights on expanding across Europe, the US and Australia.
Read the full story here.
Evri to trial robotic parcel hub in Bristol's Paintworks
Evri is set to launch a one-week trial of a robotic neighbourhood parcel hub in Bristol’s Paintworks, in partnership with Bristol-based spinout Collective Robotics.
The trial will explore how neighbourhood hubs could support final-mile delivery, giving customers greater choice and control alongside Evri’s existing home delivery, ParcelShop and locker network.
It’s the first prototype of its kind, with Collective Robotics envisaging future hubs taking multiple shapes and sizes to suit different local communities.
Read the full story here.
NatWest research: South West powers UK's innovation economy
New NatWest research has highlighted the South West as one of the UK’s leading centres for innovation, home to 1,791 innovative businesses, 927 public grant recipients and 225 university spinouts.
Grant-backed firms across the region have attracted more than £3.1bn in follow-on investment, with Bristol-based climate-tech firm Kelpi – developer of a seaweed-based plastic alternative – featured as a standout example.
The report also flagged 382 businesses still working to reach commercial scale, pointing to further opportunity for growth across the region.
Discover more here.
