Simera Sense satellite camera specialist raises €13.5m funding

Simera Sense, an optical payload specialist for small satellites, has raised €13.5 million in its first funding round.

The funding will be used to further develop its camera product range, increase its production capacity, and accelerate its on-board processing capabilities, said the company. Additional production sites were also being planned in Europe.

Specifically, it will fast-track the development of higher-resolution and SWIR camera products. It is also looking to develop on-board data processing, embedded in the camera control electronics – to minimise ground processing and optimise comms.

The investment came came via NewSpace Capital, a space-focused Private Equity firm, and Knife Capital, a venture capital investment manager.

“We’re very pleased with the amount raised and grateful to NewSpace Capital and Knife Capital for choosing to back us. We are looking forward to our journey together,” said Johann Du Toit, CEO at Simera Sense.

“We’ll be looking immediately to increase our production capacity so we can meet client demand and bring delivery time down further, while taking the development of our on-board data processing solutions to the next stage. Satellite imagery has a central role to play in helping us solve problems here on Earth, and the dynamism and growth of the Earth observation and wider space market reflect that.”

Knife Capital highlighted market demand for satellite cameras.

“We are delighted to back the unique combination of a deep technology product suite, a market demand for Simera Sense products and an entrepreneurial team that has a track record of proven execution capabilities in this space,” said Keet van Zyl, Co-Founder and Partner at the company.

Simera Sense

Simera Sense, founded in 2018, provides a range of “off-the-shelf” high-resolution cameras ready for use by the small satellite industry

In 2020, the Cape Town-based company opened its office in Leuven, Belgium, supported by the Flanders Investment and Trade Agency.

At the time, the company said it was experiencing exponential growth in the demand for optical payloads, globally, and the expansion into Europe would assist this.

Image: Simera Sense – TriScape200

See also: Video: UK excellence in the Space industry – XCAM, specialist digital imaging