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In a significant move for the defense-tech space, satellite intelligence company SatVu has secured a €35 million funding round, earmarked for the expansion of its unique thermal imaging satellite constellation. This investment, which brings the company’s total equity raised to £60 million, was strategically supported by the NATO Innovation Fund, highlighting the growing importance of advanced Earth observation technologies for national security and intelligence applications. The funding round underscores the value of the company’s mission to provide ‘Activity Intelligence’ from orbit.
Founded as a thermal intelligence provider, the company specializes in a novel form of Earth observation. Unlike traditional optical satellites that capture visual images, the company’s technology focuses on high-resolution thermal data. This allows the company to detect heat signatures and reveal operational patterns that are completely invisible to conventional sensors. The company’s core objective is to provide a deeper layer of intelligence by monitoring activity rather than just observing static infrastructure, solving a critical gap in current surveillance capabilities for both commercial and government clients.
According to the Startup Reporter, the £30 million (€35M) investment round saw participation from a powerful syndicate of investors. The primary purpose of this substantial capital injection is to transition the company from its current single demonstration satellite to a persistent, multi-satellite constellation. This expansion is critical for enabling round-the-clock monitoring of key locations and assets globally.
The company’s proprietary technology operates by capturing thermal imagery from low Earth orbit at an impressive 3.5-meter resolution. This level of detail is precise enough to identify heat signatures associated with activity occurring both inside and around buildings, critical infrastructure, and other strategic assets. A key advantage of this technology is its ability to function day or night and even through cloud cover, providing a reliable intelligence feed in contested or difficult-to-monitor environments. For defense and government customers, this provides a fundamentally new data source that can reveal covert mobilization, operational readiness, and other hidden activities.
The strategic investment signals a major validation of their technology and its potential impact on the intelligence and defense sectors. While a single satellite provides intermittent observation, revisiting a location only every few days, a full constellation offers the persistence needed for meaningful security applications. The ability to deliver what the company calls ‘Activity Intelligence’ provides a sovereign intelligence capability that moves beyond simple imagery to offer insights into the operational tempo of adversaries or partners. This funding round positions the company to scale its operations and meet the growing demand for this next-generation intelligence data.
