London-based space data company Blue Skies Space has secured over £2 million in funding. This latest round includes new investment from Japan’s SPARX Group Co. Ltd. – Space Frontier Fund, launched in 2020 following investment from Toyota Motor Corporation, Mitsubishi UFJ Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, and follow-on investment from SFC Capital (invested in PlumoBioMed and Furbnow), the UK’s most active seed-stage investor.
Blue Skies Space will use the funding to accelerate the launch of its first small satellite – Mauve. It will help scientists understand and solve the biggest questions in the universe. The Mauve satellite will launch in 2025.
What does Blue Skies Space do?
Blue Skies Space was founded by CEO Marcell Tesseny and employed an experienced team from NASA, Airbus, Surrey Satellite Technology, Caltech and UCL. It aims to deliver high-quality space science data in accelerated timescales to the global scientists to get answers to humanity’s greatest questions.
Through a fleet of low-Earth orbit satellites, the company aims to serve the global demand for high-quality science data across many research areas including the monitoring of stars, understanding what the atmospheres of faraway exoplanets are made of, as well as the composition of asteroids in the solar system.
The London-based space company already has the participation of institutions across eleven countries, including Cardiff University (UK), Vanderbilt University (USA), The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (France), and the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan.
Dr Marcell Tessenyi, CEO and co-founder of Blue Skies Space, commented: “We believe great science doesn’t always need large satellites. Our first small satellite Mauve will measure the activity of nearby stars, helping scientists understand the impact of powerful stellar flares on exoplanets and the prospects of harbouring life. This funding enables us to launch Mauve by early 2025 and accelerate the deployment of subsequent satellites already under development, with the backing of SPARX and SFC Capital”.
Tadashi Kito from SPARX Group Co. Ltd, said: “We are delighted to partner with Blue Skies Space and help accelerate the implementation of their vision. Their unique data service will bring exciting new opportunities for space research and be the first commercial offering in a landscape only served by governments today. We look forward to seeing Mauve and Twinkle followed by a fleet of dedicated science satellites.”
Jason Druker, Portfolio Manager of SFC Capital, said: “We have been backing Marcell and his team at Blue Skies Space for multiple years and are delighted to continue providing our support. They have demonstrated strong commercial traction and continuous operational progress towards the imminent launch of their satellites.”
