Bristol-based engineering company Rowden has secured a £25 million investment from the National Wealth Fund, in what the Fund described as its first direct investment in defence, national security and resilience.
Rowden develops sensing and communications products and an edge device management platform for defence, resilience and other critical industries. The company said the funding will be used to create 100 new jobs over the next 12 months, expand engineering, manufacturing and test capability across the UK, and build a new advanced test and evaluation facility in the West Midlands.
The investment is aimed at supporting Rowden’s next phase of growth as it increases production and expands into new global markets and critical sectors. From its headquarters and manufacturing base in Bristol, the company said it plans to create a further 500 highly skilled roles by 2032.
The deal is notable not only for Rowden’s growth plans, but also for what it signals about the National Wealth Fund’s appetite for direct investment in sovereign technology and industrial capacity tied to national resilience.
Rowden develops sensing and communications products and an edge device management platform for defence, resilience and other critical industries. The company said the funding will be used to create 100 new jobs over the next 12 months, expand engineering, manufacturing and test capability across the UK, and build a new advanced test and evaluation facility in the West Midlands.
The investment is aimed at supporting Rowden’s next phase of growth as it increases production and expands into new global markets and critical sectors. From its headquarters and manufacturing base in Bristol, the company said it plans to create a further 500 highly skilled roles by 2032.
The deal is notable not only for Rowden’s growth plans, but also for what it signals about the National Wealth Fund’s appetite for direct investment in sovereign technology and industrial capacity tied to national resilience.