CesiumAstro’s Founder and CEO, Shey Sabripour, pictured in the company’s Austin, Texas, New Product Introduction facility. Photo credit: Melissa Glynn
By Christina Phillips
CesiumAstro, a provider of space communications technology, announced the closing of a $65 million Series B+ funding round.
In a news release on June 18, CesiumAstro said the round was led by Trousdale Ventures, with matching participation from Development Bank of Japan (DBJ) and Quanta Computer.
The company said other investors who joined the round include Kleiner Perkins, Lavrock Ventures, L3Harris Technologies, InMotion Ventures (JLR’s investment arm), Matter Venture Partners, MESH Ventures, and Assembly Ventures.
CesiumAstro noted that this investment validates its innovative approach to space communications technology, as exemplified by the company’s Vireo multi-beam Ka-band active phased array payload and provider-agnostic Skylark SATCOM terminal, which are disrupting the space communications landscape.
“This raise fuels our commitment to expanding our software-defined communication solutions for the next era of connectivity,” said Shey Sabripour, Founder and CEO of CesiumAstro. “We extend our deepest gratitude to our investors for their support in solidifying CesiumAstro’s leadership within the space and defense industries.”
“We are thrilled to lead CesiumAstro’s Series B+ round,” said Phillip Sarofim, Founding Partner and CEO of Trousdale Ventures. “Their innovative technologies are game changers. We have unwavering confidence in Shey’s leadership and CesiumAstro’s team and believe this investment will propel their mission to deliver scalable space tech for a range of applications.”
With $156 million raised in equity capital since its founding in 2017, CesiumAstro said it will leverage the new funds to accelerate core research and development, bolster its rapid manufacturing capabilities, expand facilities domestically and internationally, and accelerate talent acquisition.
“CesiumAstro’s full-mission payloads for space and air have huge potential to enable the next generation of connectivity solutions,” said Masao Masuda, Managing Executive Officer at Development Bank of Japan. “To deliver those advancements, DBJ is excited to help CesiumAstro form connections in space and non-space industries, including in Japan.”
CesiumAstro noted that its more than 200 engineers, scientists, and business professionals, combined with its in-house rapid prototyping, testing, and manufacturing capabilities, positions the company for continued success.
“In a world where connectivity and national security are increasingly entwined, CesiumAstro emerges with a unique combination of team, capability, and ambition jointly built to power a new era harnessed by reliable, high-powered connectivity,” remarked CesiumAstro Board Member and Airbus Ventures Managing Partner, Thomas d’Halluin. “This latest round of investment signifies the collective force that Shey and the team have unlocked to accelerate an impressive roadmap in a moment that will be defined by the agility and strength of dual-use frontier technologies—with secure connectivity being an essentially relevant global priority.”
Optimal Counsel served as legal advisor to CesiumAstro.
Headquartered in Austin, Texas, with offices in Colorado, California, and the United Kingdom, CesiumAstro builds high-throughput, software-defined phased array communication payloads for airborne and space platforms including satellites, missiles, UAVs, and more. Cesium’s full-stack, multi-mission hardware and software products enable a range of commercial, government and defense objectives. CesiumAstro provides full in-house design, manufacturing and testing capabilities based on the ISO AS9100 standard.
More information:
cesiumastro.com
http://www.trousdale.vc
http://www.quantatw.com
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