NeuralSat raises €2.9M for a 72-satellite data relay
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German startup NeuralSat has raised €2.9M ($3.2M) in pre-seed funding to build a 72-satellite network that relays and processes data in orbit. Capnamic Ventures and Bayern Kapital led the round, according to Payload, with ZOHO.VC, Robin Capital, KIEMIS Holding and Mission E Capital also taking part.
The idea is different from the orbital data centres that are meant to replace ground ones. NeuralSat is focused on the data satellites already collect. Payload cites an ESA projection of about 100,000 satellites in orbit by 2030, up from 10,200 in 2024, and says the flow of data back to Earth is starting to hit bottlenecks. NeuralSat's plan is for operators to send data to its nodes, which process it and pass it to whichever ground station is available. The company describes two parts: a relay network using optical and high-frequency radio links, aimed at up to 50 gigabits per second, and a shared computing network. It also plans hosted payloads for customers.
The money is meant to fund an in-orbit demonstration in 2027, with the first operational satellites expected from 2028, according to the company's announcement. Those are plans, not results: no hardware has flown yet.
Why it matters: satellites that borrow power and compute from a neighbour can give more room to their own payloads, but they give up some self-sufficiency. Would you trust a shared relay with your satellite's data?