Simera Sense, founded in South Africa and specializing in providing comprehensive optical solutions for small satellite earth observation, has secured €13.5 million in its initial growth investment round. The company divulged that the joint investment came from NewSpace Capital and Knife Capital, aimed at aiding it in scaling up its operations in light of the rising client demand.
This investment is expected to facilitate Simera Sense’s expansion plans, especially in amplifying its existing production capacity, with intentions to establish new production sites within Europe. Concurrently, it plans to expand its product development teams and enhance customer service capabilities in Europe.
The statement from Knife Capital reads, “This will accelerate the development of higher-resolution and short-wave infrared camera products.” The financiers also highlighted that the significant development area for Simera Sense is incorporating game-changing on-board data processing, embedded in the camera control electronics.
They argue that this would be an industry-first as data from satellite cameras is traditionally processed on the ground, which often poses connectivity and bandwidth challenges.
Simera Sense’s CEO, Johann Du Toit, stated: “We’ll promptly look towards enhancing our production capacity to meet client demand and reduce delivery time, while also progressing the development of our on-board data processing solutions.”
The company caters to worldwide customers within the Earth observation data and services industry, which is forecasted to grow from a $12.55 billion market valuation in 2024 to approximately $20.73 billion by 2029, as per Knife Capital.
NewSpace Capital’s Managing Director, Bogdan Gogulan, praised Simera Sense’s team for their distinctive combination of technical prowess, commercial astuteness, resilience, and humility; he predicted their success in achieving mastery over on-board data processing, remarking that it would be a revolution for the market.
With its headquarters in Belgium, Simera Sense serves esteemed clients such as AAC Clyde Space, Open Cosmos, Nara Space, and OHB Systems AG. It also collaborates with diverse European institutions and partners with numerous companies to explore ‘New Space’ potentials.
