Wedoany.com Report on Feb 6th, Space technology company CesiumAstro recently announced the completion of a $470 million growth capital funding round, with CEO Shey Sabripour calling this financing the company's "scale-up moment." This round includes a $270 million equity investment led by Trousdale Ventures, along with $200 million in funding support from the U.S. Export-Import Bank.
Investors participating in the Series C round include Toyota's venture capital arm Woven Capital, Janus Henderson Investors, Airbus Ventures, the Japan Development Bank, MESH, NewSpace Capital, and several other global investment institutions. The company plans to use the funds to expand its production capacity in Texas and build a new 270,000-square-foot campus near Austin, integrating engineering, electronics manufacturing, and the production of satellites and key technologies.
CesiumAstro initially focused on phased array technology and has now evolved into a company providing complete end-to-end satellite mission solutions. Sabripour stated, "We have expanded from software-defined radios, phased arrays, and processor systems to complete end-to-end missions from the ground to space. Delivering full mission capabilities to customers—that's what this funding round is about." The company currently has seven office locations worldwide, including London, Munich, and Tokyo.
The company's Element software-defined satellite design, launched last year, is scheduled to have its first satellite launched later this year. By shifting to an end-to-end mission model, CesiumAstro aims to become a prime contractor in the fields of ISR and telecommunications missions. Approximately 75% of the company's business involves defense and government sectors, while it also participates in civilian projects such as NASA's LunaNet technology contract.
Phillip Sarofim, founder of Trousdale Ventures, noted, "This brings CesiumAstro closer to end customers—the Department of Defense, national space agencies, commercial clients—and captures ten times more value than being merely a payload company. With this funding round, CesiumAstro transitions from a low-rate innovator to a high-capacity industrial giant." Sabripour anticipates that by 2030, commercial applications will account for 50% of the company's business, with connected car applications being one of the long-term development goals.
