Nik Bler founded defense startup Pyra and is seeking $200M in investment

Nik Bler, son of former UK prime minister Toni Blera, has founded defense-technology startup Pyra.

This was reported by the Financial Times.

He is currently in talks with investors to raise approximately $200 million in funding.

What is known about Pyra

According to the FT, Bler set up the London company Pyra Group in November last year and is its sole director. The company’s website lists a launch in summer 2026.

Pyra is developing technology that will allow different systems to be combined and integrated into a single platform. The company said the startup was created to serve the security interests of the UK and its allies by transforming the industrial and digital base.

Investment discussions are still ongoing and may change. 

The publication writes that the fundraising attempt comes amid a surge in venture investments in Europe’s defense sector. By the end of June, defense-sector companies had raised $12.3 billion from venture funds, nearly double the figure for the same period last year ($9.95 billion for the entire previous year).

What is known about Nik Bler

The Financial Times writes that this is not Nik’s first software project:

• he is co-founder and chairman of the British startup Skyral, which develops modeling and simulation technologies, including for defense companies;
• last year Skyral raised $20 million in investments, including from European venture firm NOIA Capital.

His older brother Euan Bler raised $70 million in May for his edtech startup Multiverse.

Recall that at the end of July 2026 the Ukrainian company F-Drones completed the delivery of 2,000 strike FPV drones F10 to the US Armed Forces as part of the first phase of the Drone Dominance program.

This is the first case in which Ukraine has officially allowed the export of domestically produced ready combat drones. Previously, export permits mostly covered individual technologies, components, or services.

Read also: Ukrainian DoD Solution and Dutch Axelera AI will develop AI for defense systems