Confirming a collective awareness, at least in Europe, of the risks associated with space debris, Safran announced during the Paris Air Show that it was investing in a German startup specializing in space situational awareness.
Four investors, including Safran
Created in 2020 in Darmstadt, Germany, the startup Vyoma plans to build and operate a satellite observation system for the surveillance of the space debris.
Based on a constellation of twelve satellites and artificial intelligence, Vyoma’s system must operate in real time, in order to “help increase confidence in space” for “safe and automated” satellite operations.
To successfully develop its project, the start-up completed a funding round last month, which enabled it to raise the sum of €8.5 million.
The French aerospace giant Saffronthrough its venture capital arm Safran Corporate Ventures, is one of the four investors.
Alongside him are the companies Atlantic Labs (based in Germany), Happiness Capital (in Hong Kong) and Faber Ventures (in Portugal).
Strategic area
“This investment in a German start-up specializing in New Space is part of Safran Corporate Ventures’ strategy to support companies developing breakthrough technologies that are strategic for the Group, and in line with a Franco-German collaboration contributing to strengthening the sovereignty of the European Union,” said Florent Illat, CEO of Safran Corporate Ventures.
Positioned in the strategic area of space situational awareness (SSA – Space Situational Awareness), the start-up now has a capital of more than €10 million, and can envisage the launch of its first satellites next year.
