SatVu Secures NATO-Backed Funding to Expand Thermal Imaging Satellite Constellation

United Kingdom - Ekhbary News Agency

SatVu Secures NATO-Backed Funding to Expand Thermal Imaging Satellite Constellation

TAMPA, Fla. — SatVu, a leading British Earth observation startup, announced on February 17 that it has successfully raised 30 million British pounds (approximately $41 million USD) in a significant funding round. This crucial investment saw participation from the NATO Innovation Fund (NIF), underscoring the escalating interest in commercial space-based thermal imagery from defense and intelligence agencies globally. The funding marks a pivotal step for SatVu in its ambitious pursuit of developing a sophisticated satellite constellation capable of delivering invaluable strategic insights.

This capital injection is vital for SatVu's renewed push back to orbit, following the unfortunate failure of its initial demonstrator satellite in 2023. The company is now planning to launch two follow-on satellites this year, as part of its broader objective to establish a nine-spacecraft constellation. This network is designed to provide 10-20 daily revisits, ensuring a consistent and high-resolution stream of thermal data. Camilla Taylor, SatVu's chief financial officer, emphasized the strategic importance of this funding, stating: "This funding secures SatVu’s path to execute at scale. We have a clear and credible path to a multi-satellite constellation, accompanied by investors that match the ambition and pace of the business."

Previously, SpaceX had been lined up to launch SatVu’s HotSat-2 and HotSat-3 satellites, both constructed by U.K.-based Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. (SSTL), in 2025. While SatVu did not disclose a specific reason for the delay, the current focus is on the impending launch of the two follow-on satellites this year. The startup further confirmed that it has initiated contracts for an additional three satellites, signaling its strong commitment to significantly expanding its orbital capabilities.

Thermal imaging technology possesses a unique capability to reveal activities that remain invisible to conventional optical vision, both day and night. This includes heat signatures associated with operations around buildings and critical infrastructure, vehicle movements, and industrial activities. SatVu aims to provide imagery that can detect these subtle indicators, offering a critical new layer of data. Anthony Baker, SatVu’s cofounder and CEO, articulated the technology’s impact: “This allows governments to assess activity, readiness, and operational change — a critical new data layer that matters for defence, security, and sovereign decision-making.”

The NATO Innovation Fund (NIF) is a venture capital fund specifically backed by NATO member nations to invest in emerging technologies with significant defense and security applications. NIF's investment in SatVu reflects a strategic recognition of the transformative potential of space-based thermal imagery. Trisha Saxena, a senior associate at NIF, elaborated on the partnership: “SatVu’s thermal intelligence technology can provide governments and businesses across NATO nations with a level of detailed data that was simply not available before. We are pleased to support SatVu as it revolutionises the earth observation market, delivering critical insights to the security, finance and commodities sectors to help safeguard defence and economic activity across the Alliance.”

This funding announcement comes just a week after the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) added SatVu and two other commercial imaging firms to its roster of vendors it is testing for future intelligence missions. This further validates the growing significance of commercial data for the intelligence community. Investor interest in commercial thermal satellite imagery has also been on a notable rise. Just last week, German startup constellr announced a 37 million euro ($44 million) funding round to expand its own thermal imaging constellation, led by Alpine Space Ventures and Lakestar, indicating a burgeoning market.

Max Gulde, constellr’s cofounder and CEO, underscored the strategic imperative of this technology: “Sovereign resilience requires understanding real activity on the ground, not just seeing objects. Thermal intelligence provides the earliest and most reliable signal of operational change, from detecting rocket and airbase activity to identifying active reactors and hidden industrial operations. Europe must own this capability.” With a total funding of 75 million euros, the German firm is supporting the expansion of its two-satellite SkyBee constellation.

SatVu confirmed that its latest round was spearheaded by existing investor Molten Ventures, bringing its total equity funding to an impressive 60 million British pounds. Other existing investors, including Adara Ventures, Ridgeline Ventures, NOA, Lockheed Martin, Seraphim Space Fund, and Stellar Ventures, also participated in the round. New investors such as British Business Bank, Space Frontiers Fund II, and Presto Tech Horizons further joined, signaling broad market confidence in SatVu’s business model and the potential of its technology to revolutionize defense, security, and Earth observation sectors.

Ekhbary News Agency