ICEYE, a specialist in synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) technology for micro-satellites, has secured USD13 million in new funding, including an USD8.5 million financing round led by Draper Nexus.
ICEYE will use the latest funding to scale up operations, including manufacturing of the company’s SAR technology built from off-the-shelf components, and launch additional satellites. ICEYE plans to launch the first three micro-satellites equipped with SAR sensors over the next 12 months, delivering earth observation data to select customers shortly thereafter.
This USD8.5 million round also included participation from True Ventures, Lifeline Ventures, Space Angels, and Draper Associates. Additional funding was received from Finnish Funding Agency for Innovations, Tekes. Since starting its operations in 2015, ICEYE has secured a total of USD18.7 miilion in financing, including investments from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program.
“Having the support and insight from our investors will not only help ICEYE execute on our vision to democratise access to data worldwide, but it will also allow us to build out brand-new capabilities for our customers and partners,” says Rafal Modrzewski, CEO and co-founder, ICEYE Oy. “ICEYE will use this capital infusion to continue growing operations, readying our technology for the next generation of SAR micro-satellite constellations.”
With darkness or clouds covering two-thirds of the planet at any given time, SAR technology delivers reliable imaging where optical imaging cannot. Finland-based ICEYE has developed a unique SAR sensor to offer imaging services anywhere around the globe, anytime, with response times measured in a few hours from acquisition. By enabling economically viable micro-satellite constellations, ICEYE’s goal is to expand access to SAR data at a cost and time efficiency that has never before been available to commercial and government entities.
“ICEYE has a disruptive value proposition of making earth observation data and insights available at a refresh rate and cost that is orders of magnitude better than any system out there today. Rafal and his team are unleashing efficiency and innovation across wide sectors of our economy – insurance, construction and transportation to name a few,” says Q Motiwala, managing director of Draper Nexus who will be joining ICEYE’s board. “We are excited to partner with this incredible, passionate team that is bringing this game-changing technology to market.”
The commercial earth observation data that ICEYE provides, underpins value-added services in various industries and can be used across different industries to track changes around the world at any time. ICEYE’s SAR micro-satellites can be used in the maritime industry to follow port traffic, in the oil industry to detect oil spills or by the government to monitor illegal logging, as well as fast disaster relief.
