Europe is putting a little more money behind servicers in space.
Infinite Orbits, a French satellite servicing company, announced yesterday that it has brought in a €40M ($46.3M) round of financing to support its trek toward deployment.
- The European Innovation Council Fund, Matterwave Ventures, Wind Capital, Balnord, IRDI Capital Investissement, and Newfund Capital participated in the round.
- The company also has €150M ($173.8M) in backlog across civilian and military programs to be delivered in the next three years, according to a company statement.
Infinite Orbits is aiming to be Europe’s player in the global game to achieve in-space servicing capability—particularly in the competition with the US and China.
“This financing round illustrates how the coordinated mobilization of European private capital can strategically support the emergence of a leader in in-orbit servicing,” Adel Haddoud, CEO of Infinite Orbits, said in a release.
A big footprint: Infinite Orbits may be based in France, but developing a pan-European reach to help it out with partnerships—as well as access to talent and capital—is key to the company’s growth strategy. With this round of financing, Infinite Orbits is planning to open new offices in Luxembourg, Spain, the UK, Germany, and Poland.
Working across national borders on the continent is becoming more common. Last month, three of Europe’s major aerospace contractors—Thales, Airbus, and Leonardo—announced plans to merge to better compete with SpaceX and the global market. As Europe presses toward development of a consistent domestic launch capability, companies like Infinite Orbits are trying to take advantage of that opportunity on the continent.
Signing deals: Infinite Orbits is working toward getting its flagship servicing spacecraft, Endurance, off the ground for its first missions. Last week, the company signed a deal with GEO operator SES to collaborate on a servicing mission in 2027. The company also has contracts signed with the French Ministry of Defense, the US Air Force, and Hispasat.
