Helsinki-based ReOrbit has secured a record-setting €45 million Series A to build sovereign satellite networks for governments and critical infrastructure operators, positioning Europe with a homegrown challenger to Elon Musk’s Starlink. The cash influx underscores a broader push for strategic autonomy in space-based connectivity as nations seek alternatives to foreign-controlled systems.
Europe’s Sovereign Satellite Bet
Across Europe, secure communications are shifting from nice-to-have to national necessity. Policymakers have been steering investment toward independent networks under programs such as the European Commission’s IRIS2 secure connectivity initiative, designed to reduce reliance on non-European constellations and vendors.
The urgency is fueled by real-world vulnerabilities. Industry bodies estimate that more than 95% of international data travels via subsea cables; recent disruptions in the Red Sea and elsewhere demonstrated how quickly lines can be severed or degraded, spurring demand for resilient satellite backstops for defense, emergency response, and critical infrastructure.
What ReOrbit Is Building
ReOrbit develops both spacecraft and a software layer that lets customers fully own, control, and secure their satellite operations. Instead of selling consumer broadband directly, the company supplies nations and enterprises with turnkey systems—hardware sourced from trusted suppliers, payload integration, and an operating environment that binds it together.
At the core is a software stack the company likens to a “space OS,” designed to manage multiple orbits and payloads. It can run ReOrbit’s geostationary platform, SiltaSat, which provides persistent coverage over a fixed region, and its low Earth orbit platform, UkkoSat, optimized for low latency and rapid refresh. Interoperability between orbits enables hybrid architectures that blend resilience with performance.
The sovereignty proposition is clear: buyers retain command authority, can host national encryption, and avoid lock-in to external ground networks or cloud control systems. That control is increasingly sought by governments balancing security, industrial policy, and the need for modern, software-defined satellites that can be re-tasked over their lifetimes.
Funding, Investors, And The Road To €1B Orders
The €45 million round was organized with participation from Springvest and a roster of Nordic institutions and existing backers, including pension funds Varma and Elo, alongside venture firms such as Icebreaker.vc, Inventure, Expansion VC, and 10x Founders. While the company initially aimed slightly higher, the raise sets a new benchmark for a Finnish space startup and ranks among the largest Series A rounds in European space tech.
ReOrbit says it has already signed a full contract reportedly worth “hundreds of millions” with one government customer and has multiple memorandums of understanding with others. Management’s near-term target is a €1 billion order book within four years—a “sales unicorn” ambition that will require scaling manufacturing, supply chains, and mission operations while deepening sovereign-grade cybersecurity and ground segment capabilities.
Use of proceeds will focus on serial production of satellites, expanding the software platform, and maturing payload partnerships in communications and Earth observation. That combination—software-defined satellites plus modular hardware—aligns with a broader industry shift toward configurable systems that can be updated in orbit.
Starlink, Astranis, And The Competitive Map
Starlink remains the scale leader with thousands of satellites in orbit and millions of subscribers worldwide, according to company statements. Eutelsat OneWeb has emerged as Europe’s primary LEO broadband constellation, while Astranis pursues small geostationary satellites to serve national markets. Each model underscores different trade-offs among cost, control, and coverage.
ReOrbit’s differentiation lies in sovereignty and customizability rather than retail service. Its customers are not leasing capacity from a global constellation; they are acquiring their own space infrastructure—satellites, software, and mission autonomy. That approach speaks to governments that want European vendors, ITAR-light supply chains, and the ability to certify national crypto and mission software.
The Nordics have a track record to build on. Finland’s ICEYE pioneered rapid-response radar imaging with one of the best-capitalized satellite fleets outside of SpaceX, proving the region can scale hardware, data, and operations to world-class levels. ReOrbit aims to replicate that momentum in secure communications and multi-orbit mission platforms.
What To Watch Next
ReOrbit’s next milestone is an in-orbit demonstration with the European Space Agency, slated to validate its software-centric architecture and multi-orbit operations. Success would position the company for procurement opportunities tied to Europe’s secure connectivity objectives and national defense modernization plans.
Key execution risks include spectrum coordination, component lead times, launcher availability, and the capital intensity of fleet deployment. Yet if ReOrbit can convert its early contracts and deliver on the ESA demo, it will offer Europe something it has long sought: a credible, sovereign alternative to foreign broadband constellations with the flexibility to evolve as missions change.
For policymakers and buyers, the question is no longer whether space is strategic—it is who controls the platforms, software, and data. With fresh capital and a sovereignty-first model, ReOrbit has put Europe firmly in the race.