SatVu, a UK-based thermal intelligence company that reveals operational activity and infrastructure performance from space, has closed a £30 million ($40 million) funding round, bringing its total equity funding to £60 million ($80 million). The round includes a strategic investment from the NATO Innovation Fund, alongside the British Business Bank, Space Frontiers Fund II (managed by SPARX Asset Management Co. Ltd.), and Presto Tech Horizons. Existing investors also participated, including Molten Ventures as the lead investor, Adara Ventures, Ridgeline Ventures, NOA, Lockheed Martin, Seraphim Space Fund, and Stellar Ventures. The raise supports the company’s transition from a single-satellite demonstration to the execution of a multi-satellite constellation.
SatVu currently has two satellites planned for orbit in 2026, with an additional three already contracted as part of its roadmap toward a multi-satellite constellation. While a single satellite can observe any point on Earth, a constellation increases revisit frequency, enabling persistent monitoring of activity and operational readiness. The company’s HotSat-2 and HotSat-3 satellites are scheduled for launch in 2026. HotSat-4 and HotSat-5, along with long-lead elements of HotSat-6, are under contract, securing the critical path to full constellation deployment.
The new capital funds near-term launches and accelerates the infrastructure required to deliver persistent, scalable thermal intelligence. With its constellation on the critical path, SatVu is moving from capability demonstration to commercial scaling, a milestone seen as key to establishing credibility with sovereign and defense customers.
SatVu’s development has also been supported by UK government defense innovation programs, including an ongoing Defence Innovation Loan awarded through the Defence and Security Accelerator, now part of UK Defence Innovation.
KEY QUOTES
“This funding secures SatVu’s path to execute at scale. We have a clear and credible path to a multi-satellite constellation, accompanied by investors that match the ambition and pace of the business. This round provides the ability to move fast into sustained delivery this year – driving a major value inflection as we scale commercial operations and position the business for its next growth phase.”
Camilla Taylor, Chief Financial Officer, SatVu
“SatVu was founded to give governments access to intelligence they cannot access elsewhere. High-resolution thermal imagery from space reveals activity that is otherwise invisible – day and night – including heat signatures associated with operations inside and around buildings and critical infrastructure. This allows governments to assess activity, readiness, and operational change – a critical new data layer that matters for defence, security, and sovereign decision-making. This investment enables us to scale a UK-built, sovereign thermal capability into a multi-satellite constellation supporting government customers in the UK and across Allied nations worldwide. From monitoring critical infrastructure and military supply chains, to detecting covert activity and verifying what others cannot, thermal intelligence is essential to modern ISR. This round strengthens our ability to deliver at scale, accelerating our strategy and increasing our agility to respond to evolving defence and security requirements – positioning SatVu to be the partner of choice for nations that cannot afford uncertainty in an increasingly contested world.”
Anthony Baker, Co-Founder and CEO, SatVu
“SatVu’s thermal intelligence technology can provide governments and businesses across NATO nations with a level of detailed data that was simply not available before. We are pleased to support SatVu as it revolutionises the earth observation market, delivering critical insights to the security, finance and commodities sectors to help safeguard defence and economic activity across the Alliance.”
Trisha Saxena, Senior Associate, NATO Innovation Fund
“SatVu has created a unique technology at a time of great demand for defence innovation. They have proved the strategic value of their technology so we are pleased to provide the funding that will help them to scale and win further contracts.”
George Mills, Investment Director, British Business Bank
“We are committed to strengthening national security by scaling British SMEs and start-ups which help keep the UK’s defence industry at the cutting edge of innovation. Last year we backed SatVu with a defence innovation loan, which has already helped spark £30 million further private investment through this funding round. Our support for defence firms through UK Defence Innovation is building British sovereign capabilities and driving economic growth across the country.”
Luke Pollard, Minister of State, UK Ministry of Defence
