Vilnius-based Astrolight, an area communications firm, has closed a Seed spherical at €2.8 million to speed up the event of its laser-based end-to-end communication platform that securely connects satellites to earth.
The funding spherical was led by frontier tech investor Balnord, different key buyers have been EIFO (The Export and Funding Fund of Denmark), Coinvest Capital, and present buyers 3NGLS and Rita Sakus.
“Our long-term imaginative and prescient is to create the optical spine community for area,” mentioned Laurynas Mačiulis, CEO and Co-founder of Astrolight. “The quantity of satellites and constellations is rising exponentially, however there’s nonetheless no scalable, safe method to persistently deliver that information again to Earth. With laser communication, we’re closing that hole.”
Astrolight was based in 2019 by an ex-Founder and CTO of Kongsberg Nanoavionics, Laurynas Mačiulis, along with Co-founders Julijanas Želudevičius (Middle for Bodily Sciences and Expertise of Lithuania), Dalius Petrulionis (Mild Conversion), Martynas Milaševičius and Andrius Stankevičius (Vilnius Tech College.)
Astrolight goals to offer end-to-end optical connectivity options by constructing full and self-contained {hardware} for floor and area operational domains. Astrolight designs and manufactures superior optical communication terminals for space-to-Earth, space-to-space, ship-to-ship, and ground-based hyperlinks in aerospace and protection purposes, leveraging full vertical integration of its know-how stack to make sure optimum efficiency.
They’re growing a dual-use communication structure that may deal with each space-to-space and space-to-ground optical hyperlinks. The corporate’s aim is to supply optical communication as a service, connecting Astrolight’s and different suppliers’ optical terminals with its personal floor infrastructure.
Mačiulis revealed the longer term plans, which embody deployment of the primary operational optical floor station and demonstration of a hybrid space-to-ground and space-to-space optical terminal, which might be based mostly on the corporate’s present ATLAS-1 modular design.
“We’re extremely excited to guide this funding spherical in Astrolight. We imagine their skilled crew has developed a really groundbreaking optical communication know-how that’s important to fixing the quickly approaching information bottleneck in area. Their high-speed, jam-resistant options should not solely essential for the rising satellite tv for pc market but in addition characterize the type of frontier innovation that may outline the subsequent era of area infrastructure,” shared Jarek Pilarczyk, Working Companion at Balnord.
Earlier this 12 months, Astrolight launched a Danish subsidiary to strengthen collaboration throughout the Nordics and ship safe laser communication options for area belongings within the Arctic area.
“This can be a strategically necessary funding in an organization whose know-how performs a significant position in strengthening European area capabilities and resilience. Floor station within the Arctic is a milestone that EIFO is happy to assist as an investor, notably given the area’s strategic significance to Denmark and EIFO,” mentioned Louise Flyger, Funding Supervisor at EIFO.
Viktorija Trimbel, Managing Director at Coinvest Capital, added: “Our funding in Astrolight displays our robust perception within the firm’s potential to grow to be a worldwide chief in laser communication applied sciences. The crew has demonstrated distinctive technical experience, a transparent imaginative and prescient, and the flexibility to execute in a extremely demanding deep-tech area. We’re proud to assist their journey as they revolutionise safe information transmission in area and past.”
Whereas many gamers within the area sector focus solely on laser communication between satellites, Astrolight claims to have been focusing on the “lacking hyperlink between area and Earth” since its institution.
“The infrastructure we’re constructing isn’t just a technical answer – it’s a method to fill the operational hole in how trendy area programs talk,” added Dalius Petrulionis, CTO of Astrolight, added. “They’re utilizing radio frequencies now, however the RF spectrum is restricted, with solely about 20% of space-generated information retrievable. Laser hyperlinks supply increased information charges, distinctive safety, however most significantly, they’ll scale the bandwidth.”
According to Goldman Sachs Research, greater than 70,000 Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites are anticipated to launch within the subsequent 5 years. Together with these constellations, the demand for space-to-ground connectivity is growing. Lasercom is changing into a aggressive choice to RF, offering extra strong hyperlinks and as much as 100 occasions sooner information charges.
“We heard from clients and companions {that a} full answer is what’s lacking,” Mačiulis mentioned. “There’s no end-to-end expertise – terminals, satellites, and floor infrastructure working as one.”
Astrolight’s upgraded platform will reportedly permit for higher flexibility in integrating with present satellite tv for pc programs and can assist on-demand laser communication hyperlinks, together with inter-satellite relays and direct-to-Earth downlinks.
The crew emphasises that it doesn’t purpose to compete with different constellations or networks however relatively to combine as a complementary infrastructure layer.
“Identical to everybody makes use of the web as we speak with out interested by the cables beneath us, we imagine laser communication will grow to be the invisible optical spine for the subsequent era of area connectivity,” Mačiulis mentioned. “It’s not about changing present infrastructure, however relatively about enabling what comes subsequent.”
“Astrolight represents the kind of strategic funding that Europe wants – leveraging our area’s technical excellence to construct sovereign capabilities in essential infrastructure. As area turns into more and more contested, safe communication applied sciences developed right here within the Baltic Sea Area can be important not solely commercially however for Europe’s technological
independence. This crew has the uncommon mixture of deep technical experience and clear market imaginative and prescient wanted to reach this difficult sector,” mentioned Marcin P. Kowalik, Basic Companion at Balnord.
