Portuguese startup Neuraspace announced €15.6M ($18M) in funding today to beef up its AI-powered SDA and space-traffic-management platform and increase its orbital sensing infrastructure.
The round included venture investment from Lince Capital, Explorer Investments, and Armilar Venture Partners, as well as public funds awarded under Portugal’s Recovery and Resilience plan.
Line of sight: As the number of satellites in orbit rises, and space becomes an increasingly important domain for defense ministries around the world, Neuraspace has been raking it in.
The company’s revenue has grown 350%+ over the past year. Its customers range from large civil clients like ESA, to defense customers such as the Portuguese Air Force and NATO, plus a slew of commercial satellite operators—NanoAvionics, Spire Global, and Sidus Space, to name a few.
The influx of capital will allow Neuraspace to double down on this triple-digit growth. The company plans to invest the funds to boost “autonomous decision-making, explainable AI, sensor fusion, orbit determination, anomaly detection, and defence-grade operational capabilities,” CEO Chiara Manfletti told Payload via email.
The company has plans to expand its team, by hiring new engineers, AI and flight dynamics experts, and commercial teams to grow its international customer base.
Neuraspace will also complement its network of optical telescopes with radar capabilities to add another source of data for its SDA platform, according to Manfletti.
Do something about it: Ultimately, the funding round will help Neuraspace expand the capabilities offered by NeuraspaceDEF—its dual-use SDA platform focused on government and defense users—which helps satellite operators do more than just avoid collisions.
NeuraspaceDEF isn’t just orbital traffic software. It combines data from a range of sensors, and uses AI to surface autonomous risk and threat assessments, thereby allowing satellite operators to better detect and respond to physical and cyber threats on-orbit.
“Today, protecting satellites means addressing both accidental risks and intentional threats. Safety and security are no longer separate challenges—they are two sides of the same operational problem,” Manfletti said in a statement. “We are expanding Europe’s sovereign capabilities in SDA, while delivering the AI-enabled operational services that the next generation of commercial, institutional, and defense missions will require.”
Xona Clears Final Regulatory Hurdle for PNT Constellation
Xona Space Systems has won FCC approval to broadcast its Pulsar navigation signals from a full satellite constellation, clearing the last regulatory hurdle before the company can scale deployment.
Kreios Taps Kongsberg NanoAvionics for 2028 VLEO Demo
Kreios’ debut mission will attempt to validate the company’s ability to fire an ABEP thruster at a range of altitudes below LEO.
True Anomaly Chases an Evading Target
True Anomaly said it had become the first company to execute an in-space pursuit of an evading target as part of VICTUS HAZE.
K2 Space Raises $500M Series D at $6.8B Valuation
K2 Space announced a $500M Series D, bringing K2’s total financing north of $1B since 2022.
Florida is set to become the center of the space universe—at least if Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) has anything to do with it.
Donalds, who is running for Florida governor, unveiled a plan on Friday to elevate Florida’s place in the space ecosystem, ensure the state is the launch site for critical future missions—and bring thousands of high-paying jobs to the state.
“Right now, other states and other countries are competing for the launches, the investments, and the high-paying jobs that belong to our workers, our graduates, and our families. We are going to change that,” Donalds said at a press event.
Keep reading